Plot and Title Pending
by Xiaolink Volumen
Summary: Major OOCness. Really random, really plotless, really crazy. Written with a friend. KHxFullMetalAlchemistxFushigiYuugi. And yes, that IS the actual title. Rating may go BOING! OMG, it hasn't rolled over and died yet! Yay, it's doin' stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Yes! I finally have it posted! I got the binder back. In case anyone's wondering, this is the same Alderyn as the one in The Otaku Duo. We go to the same school.

Fenrir: _Italics_

Alderyn: **Bold**

-

_Fenrir sighed as she hid in the tree from Alderyn. Alderyn had gotten adamant about Fenrir learning fencing. Fenrir, however, couldn't see why using a Shaolin Spade was so unfavourable. She buried herself in the leaves as Alderyn went by._

"**Where the hell is she?" Alderyn muttered. An idea hit her suddenly. "Hey Sephy-kun, have you seen Fenrir? No, well good we can have some private time." The last was said in a low conspiratory whisper. **

_A sudden rustling in the trees and a loud thump later, Fenrir was up and had her spade in her hands, jackal ears completely flat._

"_You've said your last words, abazureon'na!" she snarled._

"**Oh, there you are." Alderyn smiled. "Time to learn fencing. Oh and thanks for the compliment."**

_Fenrir stared blankly, the spade falling from her hands. Then her dragon wings flared, and she picked up the spade and took to the air._

"_No! No more fencing! I like my Shaolin spade!" she cried._

"**Well its good to be well rounded. Now get your ass back here now," Alderyn yelled, fanning her wings.**

_"You can't catch me! I'm a better flyer than you!" Fenrir taunted, doing loops through the sky. The sun flashed on her spade as she started flying away._

**Alderyn took off after the renegade demon.**

_Flying along, Fenrir turned, and saw Alderyn speeding along behind her._

"_Whoa!" she cried. Flapping her wings harder, she shot over the fields to Castle Urquhart, landing hard on the stone floor, twisting a wing._

"_Oooww…" she moaned. Swiftly, she hid behind a tapestry._

"**Where oh where did demon go oh where oh where can she be?" With that Alderyn ran her elbow in the tapestry where Fenrir stood. Fenrir let out an "oof."**

_Alderyn ripped the tapestry back, and Fenrir shot off down the hallway, dragging her wing and bent double._

_Her foot caught in a crack and she fell, skidding along on her front._

"_Shiit…" she groaned, trying to get her breath back._

**Alderyn cracked up. "Suzaku must really hate you right now. Just come on and learn. It can't be as bad as hurting yourself over it."**

_Fenrir coughed. "Screw Suzaku and screw fencing. I surrender, dammit," she growled._

**Alderyn calmly walked up to her and said sweetly, "Oh you screw Suzaku, I get Sephy."**

"_HELL NO! SEPHIROTH IS MINE, BITCH!" Fenrir shouted, the castle walls ringing. Then Alderyn dragged her away, coughing._

**After Fencing**

_Fenrir was lying spread-eagled on the ground. She gave a slight moan, which didn't go unnoticed by an Oriental priest walking by._

"_No da?" he said as he saw her. He cautiously approached. "Hello? Are you alive? No da?" he asked. He prodded her._

_Fenrir's eyes snapped open, and she shot up, snarling. The man backed away rapidly. Fenrir looked around, sniffing the air. _

"_Damn that Alderyn!" she snapped. She raced off to the shore of Loch Ness._

**Alderyn sat on the shore rewriting her latest Wiccan ritual. Around her the wind started to pick up. It scattered her papers.**

"**Damn," she muttered as she bent to pick them up.**

**Suddenly Fenrir appeared out of nowhere and pushed Alderyn into the loch. She spluttered to the surface cursing while Fenrir laughed.**

"**Get her, Nessie!" Fenrir howled.**

**Alderyn stopped eyes wide.**

"**You wouldn't." She felt a tug on her. "You would, damn you!" she howled as Nessie pulled her into the deep reaches of the loch.**

_Fenrir stood by, laughing. The man looked horrified._

"_What are you doing? She could drown! No da!" he cried._

_Fenrir merely stared at him. The man made an exasperated noise, and dove into the loch. Fenrir sat down and watched the loch. Abruptly, the man surfaced, carrying Alderyn. As soon as she felt the cold Scottish air, Alderyn awoke and saw who was carrying her._

"_Chichiri!" she cried. She began floundering._

"_No da! Stop that! No da!" Chichiri yelled. They both sank, while Fenrir laughed._

"_Get 'em out, Nessie!" Fenrir said, laughing. Alderyn and Chichiri shot out onto the shore. "Arigato, Nessie-san!"_

_Nessie bobbed her head up and down as Fenrir bowed to her._

"**Owww my butt hurts," Alderyn whined, sitting up. Chichiri lay SD and swirly-eyed. Fenrir turned from Nessie.**

"**That's what you get for forcing me to fence," she said smugly, her Tasuki grin in place.**

"**WHAT? That's all you can say after almost killing me and the monk?" Alderyn roared, jumping up.**

_Fenrir stuck her tongue out at Alderyn. _

"_But seriously, stop trying to teach me fencing! If I have to learn swordplay, at least make it Japanese," Fenrir said._

"_Why Japanese? Aren't you Nordic?" Alderyn asked._

"_No," Fenrir replied. "I'm an intergalactic hitchhiker. When I landed here, my electric thumb broke cuz I landed on it."_

"_Not the intergalactic hitchhiker story again."_

"_No da?" Chichiri was still SD, but he appeared to be waking up._

"**Uggg. Whatever. Come on, 'Chiri, let's get out of these wet clothes," Alderyn said.**

"**Oh wow guys, I didn't know you were THAT far," Fenrir said.**

"**DAAA!" Chichiri and Alderyn cried, jumping apart. Fenrir snickered. Alderyn lunged. Fenrir jumped back. Chichiri grabbed the back of Alderyn's shirt.**

"**Come on, no da. You're going to catch a cold, no da," Chichiri said.**

"**But she—"**

"**No, Na no da."**

**Fenrir continued to laugh her head off. Chichiri and Alderyn started to walk off. Suddenly Chichiri turned around.**

"**Oh, Fenrir, no da. I have a present for you." With that he snapped his fingers and above Fenrir his kasa emitted a black dot. Said black dot fell down towards the shocked Fenrir. She had no time to move before the dot landed on her.**

"**Ooff," Fenrir and the black thing said. Fenrir opened her eyes and gasped. Sephiroth's dazed face was less than an inch from hers.**

"**Oh shiiiit," she whispered as she realized they were in an extremely awkward position.**

_Fenrir was faced with the dilemma of scooting backwards and waking Sephiroth up or staying put. She carefully teleported Sephiroth to the side, stood up, brushed herself off, and turned to Alderyn._

"_Yoooouuu!" Fenrir snarled. "You will pay for that!"_

"_Pay for what? Will 6000 gil cover it?"_

_Fenrir froze. Jerkily, she turned around. Sephiroth had woken up and was leaning on a tree._

"_Who were you talking to?" he asked. Fenrir whipped around. Alderyn and Chichiri were gone._

"_Fuuuuck!" she growled. Then she turned back to Sephiroth. "Do you remember what happened?"_

"_I remember landing on something soft…."_

_Fenrir turned bright red and said, "Okay, let's go find those idiots and beat the shit outta them!"_

**Meanwhile**

**Chichiri and Alderyn were running towards the castle, laughing.**

"**Oh Suzaku, 'Chiri you are truly evil," Alderyn gasped out, holding her splitting sides.**

"**Da." Chichiri flashed a victory sign and kept running. They reached the castle and started walking through the halls.**

**A cry of rage then footsteps was heard behind them. They glanced at each other and gulped. The hall they stood in had very little places to hide. Getting an idea, Alderyn pulled Chichiri into a small, small alcove covered by a tapestry. **

**Fenrir and Sephiroth ran down the hall and conveniently decided to stop in front of Alderyn and Chichiri's alcove.**

"**Where the hell are they?" Fenrir roared.**

"**Why, what did they do?" Sephiroth asked innocently.**

"**Ummm…" Fenrir stuttered. "In the alcove."**

**Alderyn and Chichiri were smooshed together awkwardly trying not to give themselves away. Suddenly Alderyn got an odd look on her face.**

"**I gotta sneeze," she whispered. **

**Chichiri gave her a look. Outside Fenrir was still trying to make up an excuse to why she wanted their lives.**

"**Oh shiiiit," Alderyn whispered as she tried hard to stop the sneeze and—**

**Chichiri stopped it with a kiss.**

**(A/N: Fenrir: How the hell does a sneeze get silenced with a kiss?**

**Alderyn: Tell that to my muse. It was the only thing I could think of.**

**Fenrir: Yeah, sure it is.**

**Alderyn: Hey, I'm not complaining.)**

_Alderyn's eyes widened. She barely managed to keep silent. Outside, Fenrir was stammering as Sephiroth patiently waited for an explanation. _

"_Well… uh… um… Chichiri, he… ah… umm…" She lapsed into silence. Sephiroth looked contemplative for a moment, then turned bright red as he realized what she was trying to say. Alderyn and Chichiri were quaking with barely contained laughter, as the normally collected Sephiroth and Fenrir stared at the floor, shuffling their feet._

_Then Fenrir's watch beeped. _

"_Yay! Whose Line!" she cried, sprinting to the nearest television. Sephiroth followed. Chichiri looked confused._

"_Damn, sure gets dark quick here in Scotland, no?" Alderyn said._

_After a while, Alderyn and Chichiri cautiously approached Fenrir's wing of the castle._

_(A/N: Fenrir: Since when did we live in Castle Urquhart?_

_Alderyn: Dunno.)_

_They saw the flickering glow of the television, heard Wayne Brady mimicking Drew Carey, yet no laughter. Carefully, Alderyn approached. Immediately, she began snickering. Chichiri came over, and started snickering as well._

_Both Sephiroth and Fenrir were sound asleep. At some point, Fenrir had fallen over, and she was leaning against Sephiroth's side. She looked somewhat uncomfortable._

_Quietly, Alderyn draped a blanket over them, and she and Chichiri left._

"_What about us, no da?" Chichiri asked._

"_There's only one bed," Alderyn replied deviously._

"_Uh… what about Fenrir's bed, no da? She's not using it."_

"_Her room is padlocked."_

"_!"_

"_I'm nosy!"_

_Chichiri turned bright red._

_-end of part one-_

Fenrir: We wrote this for our own amusement. So if you wanna flame us, direct your energies elsewhere, cuz we don't give a shit.

Alderyn: Of course, you can still flame this! We'll just ignore it or laugh. Creative flames get you a cookie!

Fenrir: If you cuss us out or make unwarranted judgments on us even though you most likely won't know us, we'll flame you back. Or I will at least. Muahaha. And I wrote this when I was a Sephiroth-fangirl. Sometime over the summer, I turned into an Ansem fangirl. Rawr.


	2. Chapter 2

Hehe… here's part 2! We really have nothing to say for ourselves.

-

The next morning, Fenrir awoke slowly, conscious of aching wings, leaning on something warm, and multiple other things. She tried to stretch, and her hand struck whatever she was leaning on. She looked up.

"_Eeep!" she cried, flinging herself off the couch. Sephiroth fell over comically, and woke up._

"_Huh?" he said, looking confused._

"_Uh…"_

"_More awkward, best left unmentioned moments?"_

"…_Yup…" Fenrir looked towards the kitchen. "Oi! Alderyn! What's for brekkie?"_

_she called. Silence. "HEY! WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST?" More silence. "Okay, not cool," Fenrir grumbled._

_Fenrir and Sephiroth headed to the kitchen. Empty, with no Alderyn in sight. So they began to search. Fenrir looked in cupboards and such, and Sephiroth looked for some kind of sign. Angrily, Fenrir slammed a cupboard door shut._

"_Where the hell is she?" she snarled._

"_Hey, look," Sephiroth said, pointing a feather, white with gray spots._

"_That's Alderyn's!" Fenrir cried. "Look! More of them!"_

_A long line of Alderyn's feathers stretched down the hall._

"_They lead to her room," Fenrir commented. They cautiously opened her door._

"_WHAT THE FUCK?" they cried._

"**Shut the damn door," Alderyn muttered sleepily.**

"**Daa," Chichiri sighed.**

**Fenrir and Sephiroth slowly turned and closed the door. They walked down the hall.**

"**Wanna watch 'Hellsing?'" Sephiroth asked.**

"**I think that's a good idea," Fenrir replied, still shaking.**

Two "Hellsing" DVD's, two "Excel Saga" DVD's, and an hour of "Soul Calibur 2" later, Alderyn came into the TV room, hair mussed. 

"What's for brekkist?" she asked, yawning.

"_What're you talking about? We ate lunch an hour ago!" Fenrir said, eyes glued to the screen._

"_Huh?"_

"_Is she always this stupid?" Sephiroth asked, blocking Fenrir's attack._

"_What's your problem?" Alderyn grumbled._

"_Missed breakfast," Fenrir and Sephiroth replied in unison._

"_No cereal or anything, and I can't cook," Fenrir added._

"_What did you have for lunch?" Alderyn asked._

"_Sandwiches."_

"_And you couldn't have eaten sandwiches for breakfast?"_

"… … …"

"_And what was in the microwave, out of curiosity?"_

"_Uh… wait for it…" An explosion echoed from the kitchen._

"_Trying to make Lucky Charms explode," Fenrir said as she knocked Sephiroth's character out of the ring._

"_Who knew they were explosive?" Sephiroth said._

_Alderyn peered in the kitchen. Lucky Charms coated everything within five feet of the microwave._

"_Okay," Alderyn said, kneading her temples. "Fenrir, have you been watching 'Mythbusters' again?"_

"_Not recently, no."_

"_Then why did you just blow up a bowl of Lucky Charms? And is that why there's no more cereal?"_

"_I read it in a fic once and decided to see if it's true. And there weren't even enough for a snack."_

"_You're cleaning it up."_

_Fenrir snapped her fingers. "Done," she said._

**Alderyn walked over to Fenrir and patted her head.**

"**Good little maid, now go clean the rest of the house," she said.**

"**Screw you," Fenrir snarled and lunged at her. Sephiroth grabbed the back of Fenrir's shirt.**

"**I want a milkshake," Alderyn said, turning on her heel and heading to the now clean kitchen.**

**Fenrir turned and pouted. Sephiroth sighed and went back to "Soul Calibur 2."**

**5 min later**

**Chichiri walked into the room.**

"**Whatcha doin, No da?" he asked.**

"**Waiting for revenge," Fenrir said, smirking.**

**Both Chichiri and Sephiroth looked at her odd when a high pitched shriek filled the air.**

**(A/n: Alderyn: I love to shriek.**

**Fenrir: You're an idiot.**

**Alderyn: Yup.)**

**All three scrambled to get to the kitchen.**

**Inside the kitchen, Alderyn stood covered in chocolate milkshake. She was shivering. Fenrir burst out laughing while the men stared in shock.**

**Alderyn's eyes flashed but then she smiled.**

"**Oh Fenrir!" she sang.**

"**What?" Fenrir gasped out.**

"**Catch." And with that a big blob of cold, wet milkshake hit Fenrir square in the face.**

"**ABAZUREON'NA!" Fenrir yelled over Alderyn's laughing.**

"Foodfight!" Sephiroth and Chichiri yelled, turning the table over and jumping behind it, donning colanders and strainers on their heads. Fenrir's spade appeared in her hands.

"_Eat this!" she yelled. A large amount of ice cream appeared over the bell-shaped end. This she flung at Alderyn, who ducked. Sephiroth and Chichiri also ducked as the ice cream splattered on the table._

**Alderyn muttered a spell allowing her to gather the ice cream together and flung it at Fenrir.**

**Once again, Fenrir was hit with the ice cream. The fight continued. **

**Behind the table Sephiroth turned to Chichiri.**

"**I think it's safer to stay out of this."**

**He "Daa"ed and shook his head.**

**Two hours later**

**Fenrir and Alderyn sat on the floor at opposite ends of the kitchen. Both were covered in a sticky chocolate substance and breathing hard.**

"Truce?" Fenrir gasped out.

"_Truce."_

"_Not yet…" A bowl of Lucky Charms appeared over Alderyn's head and exploded. "Now truce."_

_-end part two-_

Fenrir: Hehehe… I may be an Ansem fangirl, but it's real easy to picture Sephiroth and me playing Soul Calibur. Easier than picturing Ansem and me playing Soul Calibur, anyway.

Alderyn: Has anyone noticed that we're playing with physics in this?

Fenrir: (Jumping up and down) Ooo, me, me! I mean, Castle Urquhart is a ruin now, so how can anyone live there? XD


	3. Intermission: Muse Coffee House!

I, that is to say, Fenrir wrote this entire bit here. I wrote all the intermissions. Aoife is Alderyn's muse, and Andante is mine.

_Intermission: Muse Coffee House!_

_Aoife sat a table, hands wrapped around a coffee mug. She listened to the other muses chatting about their authors._

"_Yeah, I tell her excellent things, but she never listens to me anymore!" said a haggard, bored-looking vampire to a small wizard._

"_I feel your pain," the wizard said._

"_How can you stand being his muse? He's always churning stuff out!" exclaimed a slight, winged elf._

"_I'm used to it now," replied the large raven sitting across from him._

_Aoife sat at a table in the corner, mostly in the shadows. She snickered as she listened to a muse she knew to be Masamune Sylverwulf's, a red-haired oni by the name of Arlon Ferrum._

"_Maybe if they… iie, iie, that won't work… shimata…" He crossed something out on his paper and dropped his head to the table with a thunk._

_With a flurry of snow and a ringing of the café's bell, a new muse entered. His bangs were long, mostly obscuring his silver eyes. He wore a long leather coat with the collar turned up over his mouth. He shook his head slightly to dislodge snow from the tips of his long pointed ears. His manner was timid as he looked around, but his eyes hinted at a short fuse. All in all, he looked like a reject from "The Lost Boys."_

_Aoife raised an eyebrow. If this guy tried anything, he might bring the café down around their ears. She smirked. He might prove fun to mess with. The new muse looked for an empty table, or at least one that didn't have two or more muses staring at him, the light flashing on his mirrored glasses. Aoife snorted. Mirrored glasses? He really was a "Lost Boys" reject. _

_Tentatively, he approached Arlon, but one look from the oni's red eyes sent the new muse backing away. He maneuvered over to Aoife's table._

"_Can I sit here?" he asked. Aoife hid a smirk with difficulty. He could fit in quite well with a troupe of opera singers, if they needed an extra baritone. Aoife shrugged noncommittally. He flopped down, head on his arms. "Is it a crime to kill your author?" he grumbled._

_Aoife's eye twitched. Oh great. He's a whiner. Damn. Maybe I can't use him for my plot. "I'd say so."_

"_Shit. Goddamn." He continued to mutter very colorful language for a few minutes. "I HATE my author! She never listens to me anymore! Just that damn Siegfried!"_

"_Well, what do you tell her?"_

"_Er… are you at all familiar with some of the content of Anne Rice's books?"_

"_Ah. I can see why."_

_He knocked his forehead against the edge of the table. "I wonder if I can punish her…?" he mumbled._

_Aoife leapt to her feet. Perhaps there was hope for her plot yet! "Excellent! Finally! You're just the muse I was looking for!" she said excitedly._

_He looked up at her, plainly confused. "Huh?"_

"_I've got a plan to seriously fuck with my author! And you can be in on it! I'm Aoife, by the way," she replied._

"_Andante Siber. When can we start?" he said, eyes glinting._

_Aoife grinned maliciously. "Right now!"_

-

Fenrir: Yep, that was all my doing! That said, I don't know why it was all italicized, but oh well! I like italics! And for anyone wondering, the FMA is coming up soon!

Alderyn: Why is it different from the original?

Fenrir: Because you were whinging about the original. And besides, I like this version better! We'll be having these little intermission doohickeys every few chappies or so. I think.


	4. Chapter 3

And here is part 3! Oh yeah, I'm taking a sabbatical from fic-writing for a bit. I'll be back, tho'. I just need to get the next chapters of some of my fics nutted out and working properly. So don't expect any updates for a while. Damn muses…

Fenrir: _Italics_

Alderyn: **Bold**

-

**After the food fight, everyone took turns in the shower. When Fenrir and Sephiroth were done, they sat down to watch "Wolf's Rain." During a commercial Fenrir got up and made popcorn.**

**Both Sephiroth and Fenrir were intent the TV when they both reached for the popcorn at the same time. Neither moved.**

"**This is MINE. I made it. Go get yer own," Fenrir growled, royally pissed.**

"**I WILL, by taking yours," Sephiroth retorted.**

**They glared at each other for a minute. Both leapt at each other.**

**When the dust cleared, Fenrir was triumphant. Sephiroth was worse for wear and swirly eyed.**

**Fenrir smirked.**

"**Mattaku no Baka, don't toucha my popcorn."**

**Alderyn walked into the room drying her hair with a towel. She stopped short at the sight of Sephiroth. She raised an eyebrow then shrugged.**

**Going over to a chair, she sat down and asked, "What we watching?"**

"'**Wolf's Rain,'" Fenrir replied simply.**

"_What happened to him?" Alderyn asked, gesturing at the unconscious Sephiroth._

"_He tried to steal my popcorn," Fenrir said, eyes flashing. Just then they heard a cry from Chichiri._

"_DAAA!"_

_Alderyn and Fenrir jumped up as another voice echoed through the castle._

"_Shove off, Chichiri! C'mon, Ed!"_

"_Slow down, Sei!"_

"_Hurry the hell up!"_

_By now Sephiroth had reawakened. Fenrir and Alderyn were panicking._

"_Batten down the hatches! Bring up the centerboard! Reef the mainsails! Hide my popcorn!" Fenrir cried, running around._

"_What the hell's going on?" Sephiroth asked._

"_Sei is here!" Alderyn cried._

_Just then, a dog demon came bursting into the room, state alchemist Edward Elric trailing behind._

"_Sei-pon's here!" she cried. "Hey! Popcorn!" she said, seeing Fenrir's bowl and reaching for it. Fenrir leapt forward._

"_No! Mine! No touchy my popcorn!" she yelled._

"But I want it!" Sei whined.

"**No!" Both glared at each other. **

**Alderyn stared at both of them, royally pissed.**

**Sei lunged at the popcorn. A fight commenced between her and Fenrir.**

**Alderyn and the bishies stood back and watched. Ed and Sephiroth took bets.**

**Alderyn started muttering an incantation. Water appeared out of nowhere, and soaked the two combatants.**

"**Alderyn!" both girls yelled.**

"**Your fighting is pointless, not to mention idiotic," Alderyn stated with a calm anger.**

"**But my popcorn!" Fenrir screeched. In her hands was a bowl of soggy popcorn.**

"**Make new popcorn. For EVERYONE!" Alderyn glared. Fenrir walked muttering to the kitchen.**

"**As for you." Alderyn turned to Sei. Sei squeaked. Alderyn hit her hard on the head.**

"**Oww what was that for?" Sei whined.**

"**That my friend was for being mean to Chichiri," Alderyn said. She turned and looked at the bishies. Ed and Sephiroth were pouting. Chichiri had a wide grin on his masked face (wider than usual.) In his hands he held various coins, some quite valuable. Alderyn raised an eyebrow.**

"**I bet you'd win, No Da."**

**Alderyn laughed.**

_A loud grumbling announced Fenrir's return. She was holding an immense bowl of fresh popcorn. Irritably, she set it on the table._

"_Seph, come on. I wanna show you this silly thing I did on my computer," she said. Only Sephiroth saw the wink. The duo headed off as the others set upon the popcorn._

_Once outside, Fenrir and Sephiroth hid on either sides of the door._

"_3…2…1…" Fenrir muttered, then snapped her fingers. The popcorn exploded._

"_Fenrir!" Alderyn yelled._

"_What did you do?" Sephiroth asked, laughing._

"_I put a time bomb in the popcorn," Fenrir replied, sniggering evilly._

"_Interesting. I would have done something different, but the end result would have been the same."_

_Fenrir paled. Slowly, she turned, getting a questioning look from Sephiroth._

_A certain silver-haired, tanned, and yellow eyed bishounen was leaning against the wall across from the quaking Fenrir and extremely confused Sephiroth._

"_Ansem! I… uh… how did… eep!" Fenrir stammered. Then she bolted into the room, and rushed past Alderyn and the others, nearly blowing the bowl of popcorn off the table._

"_Fenrir, what?" Alderyn said. She looked at Chichiri, Sei, and Ed. They all shook their heads. Somewhere, a door slammed._

"_Why'd she run off? I was only commending her prank," came Ansem's voice. They turned to see him and Sephiroth standing in the doorway. It was hard to tell who looked more confused. Sephiroth shrugged._

_Extremely loud Ramones, Clash, and Good Charlotte music echoed all at once from Fenrir's room. Sei and Alderyn looked at each other and nodded._

"_What?" the bishies all said at once._

"_Fangirl thing," Sei said._

"_You wouldn't get it," Alderyn said, flapping her hand at the men._

"_Ooooh, no da," Chichiri said. They all looked at him. "Nothing, no da!"_

"_Does he always do that?" Ansem and Ed asked._

"_You'll get used to it," Alderyn replied._

_-_

_After Ansem, Sei, and Ed's arrival, violent arguments resulted concerning Fenrir's room._

"_Fine! I'll kip on the fucking couch! But I'm locking all my stuff fifty bucks and up in the closet and hiding the key in Hammerspace!" Fenrir yelled._

"_Why?" Sei demanded._

"_You're a damn kleptomaniac!"_

_-end part 3-_

Fenrir: Rawr! That chapter was originally twice as long, but I cut it in half. So there.

Alderyn: Sei is our friend Thatz from school, but we changed her name for this fic, cuz there's a Thatz in the manga "Dragon Knights." Sei is short for Seishinbyo, which means "mental disorder." We called her that cuz she claims she's bi-polar.

Sei: Yay! I'm in the fic!

Fenrir: Get out of the Author's notes, Sei! You didn't write this!

Sei: Aww…

Ansem: What about me?

Fenrir: (Hugging him) You can stay! X3 You were my first obsession, after all!

Ansem: O.O

Fenrir: Yep! I was an Ansem fangirl before I was a Sephiroth fangirl, but now I'm an Ansem fangirl! X3

Ansem: O.O;

Alderyn: Fenrir, let go of him. You're scaring him.

Fenrir: No! (Growls possessively)

Ansem: O.O;; (Small voice) Help me!


	5. Chapter 4

Fenrir: _Italics_

Alderyn: **Bold**

_-_

_A few mornings later, Fenrir was asleep on the couch, when she awoke abruptly. She looked up to find Ansem hovering over her._

_With a yell Fenrir leapt up, knocked over the couch, and crashed into the wall._

"_Holy shit! Don't fucking do that! Damn! What the hell were you thinking? Sonofabitch!" she yelled._

"_Nice vocabulary," Ansem snickered. "You'd make a pirate cry."_

"_You have no idea," Fenrir grumbled._

Ansem raised an eyebrow and was about to ask when a sleepy Sephy (say that 10 times fast) walked into the room.

"**Whatsa matter, Fenrir?" Sephiroth yawned.**

"**Um… nothing," she answered quickly then looked down.**

**Ansem and Sephiroth glanced at each other. Fenrir missed their silent exchange. Both went to sit down on either side of Fenrir. Fenrir looked from one to another and blushed. She was oddly silent.**

"**So when's breakfast?" Ansem asked.**

**No one spoke for a minute then Fenrir muttered, "Whenever Alderyn gets her ass out of bed."**

**Ansem nodded.**

**Tension filled the air.**

**Fenrir couldn't take it anymore.**

"**I know, let's play 'Soul Calibur.' Yes 'Soul Calibur.' Everybody loves 'Soul Calibur,'" Fenrir said nervously.**

**Once again she missed the challenging glares thrown between Ansem and Sephiroth.**

**-I ½ hour later-**

**After 116 battles between Ansem and Sephiroth the score was tied. Both were growling in frustration. Fenrir sat on the couch watching in semi-disbelief.**

"**Damn you," Ansem muttered as Sephiroth struck a fatal blow on Ansem's fighter.**

"**Ha that's 59 wins for me and 58 for you," Sephiroth crowed.**

"**You won't win again!"**

"**Suuure,"**

**Fenrir just sat there.**

_Sephiroth continued to beat Ansem, bringing the score 70 to 58._

"_This is pitiful!" Fenrir cried after a time. "Ansem, gimme the damn controller!"_

_Confused, Ansem handed her the controller. Fenrir selected Nightmare as Sephiroth selected Mitsurugi._

"_And now," Fenrir said to Sephiroth, "I will school your ass in the fine art of 'Soul Calibur 2.'" She turned to Ansem. "Watch and learn."_

_With a few deft button presses Fenrir knocked Sephiroth's character out of the ring. Several times._

_Five minutes later the score was one hundred to nothing, Fenrir's favour._

"_And that, my friends, is how you play 'Soul Calibur 2,'" she crowed triumphantly. Sephiroth stared at her as she handed the controller back to Ansem. "Mess up my winning streak and I'll kill you," she said, waving her spade threateningly under Ansem's nose._

_Just then, an inhuman cry reverberated through the castle. Alderyn and Chichiri came racing in._

"_What the hell was that?" they yelled._

"_I don't know! It sounded like a truck revving up!" Fenrir cried. Sei and Ed ran in._

"_What in the name of all things alchemy-related was that?" Ed cried._

_The cry echoed again. They all raced outside. Their jaws dropped._

_An immense demon, seemingly made of fire, smoke, and shadow was attacking Nessie._

"_Oh my god!" Fenrir and Alderyn cried._

"_What is it?" Sephiroth asked, clutching his katana so tightly his knuckles turned white._

"_A balrog. A demon of fire and shadow," Fenrir replied grimly._

_-end part 4-_

Fenrir: Heh… that was short. Oh well. It was the second half of what was part 3, so go figure.

Ansem: Can I leave now?

Fenrir: O.O No! (Latches onto his waist)

Ansem: Ack! Leggo!

Sephiroth: The hell, Ansem? From what Alderyn wrote you want Fenrir clinging to you! X)

Alderyn: So do you.

Sephiroth: O.o Shut up.

Alderyn: XD

Fenrir: I'm not sure if it's possible to beat someone a hundred times in five minutes in "Soul Calibur 2," but oh well.

Ansem: Please let go?

Fenrir: NO!


	6. Chapter 5

I think you guys have it now.

Hmm... I wonder why this isn't getting any reviews? Oh well. Not gonna stop us from writing this. Only writer's block or loss of interest can put this blighter in the ground.

-  
_"A balrog?" Ansem asked quizzically. _

"_I haven't seen one in years," Alderyn said. "I thought they'd all died out."_

_Fenrir had a look of immense concentration on her face. Then the kanji for dragon flared on her forehead._

"_I'm gonna tame it!" she said before changing into a massive black dragon._

"_Impressive," Ansem muttered. The others stared at him. He turned to Alderyn. "Your friend has great control over the powers of darkness. That dragon's scales seem to suck the light from the air around it. Not even Maleficent managed that. I myself have tried."_

"_She's part dragon," Alderyn replied._

_Ansem shook his head. "I don't think that has anything to do with it."_

**Alderyn gave him an appraising look, then pulled out her twin katanas. She took flight, speeding towards the balrog. Sei jumped into action, claws at the ready.**

_Sephiroth hung back. As the others prepared to join the fray, Ansem trapped them in cords of darkness, much to their disbelief._

"_What are you doing?" Alderyn cried as he pulled them back._

"_Somehow, I get the feeling she'd be very pissed off if you tried to help her," Ansem said._

"_Besides, I think she's more than a match for that balrog," Sephiroth said, as the balrog struck a blow on Fenrir._

_Fenrir gave a screech, and let loose a gout of purple and black flames at the balrog. It roared angrily at her, and lashed out with a burning whip. Fenrir dodged the blow, and slashed off one of the balrog's horns. The balrog howled, and Fenrir knocked the beast into the loch with a hiss of steam._

_Moments later, Fenrir hopped out of the loch, patches of darkness healing the burns on her hands, wings, and arms. The balrog miserably crawled out after her._

"_Meet my new balrog Hikage!" Fenrir cried joyfully. The others stared at her and shook their heads._

_-_

_Once again, Fenrir was asleep on the couch. Once again, she awoke to Ansem hovering over her._

"_Aackk! Sonofabitch! I told you not to do that! Fuck!" she cried._

"_Come," Ansem said, walking away. Fenrir hurried after, wishing to give Ansem a good thumping. Ansem and Fenrir headed out onto the castle grounds. It was still dark out. _

"_What the hell are we doing out here?" Fenrir asked. Hikage was asleep, tied to a tree. She looked around. Even Nessie was asleep on the shore. Suddenly, she felt some sort of a surge in power. She whipped around to face Ansem._

_Ansem was gathering energy. He fired it at Fenrir, who got the full force of the blow. She slammed into the castle wall._

"_Ow… what are you…" She gasped, then cried out as another bolt struck her. She slumped against the wall as Ansem advanced. "Wha…"_

_Ansem slashed at her with his weapon, a double-ended voulge. She cried out again and again as Ansem scored hit after hit on her. He stared down at her scornfully._

"_Hmph. You are very disappointing," he snarled. "And here I thought you had mastery over the darkness."_

_Alderyn, Chichiri, Sei, Ed, and Sephiroth had all been awakened by the battle. They had met in the TV room, and raced outside, finding Fenrir gone._

"_Fenrir!" Alderyn cried._

"_You bastard!" Sephiroth snarled._

"_No… get away!" Fenrir gasped out._

"_Like hell we will!" Sei yelled, as they leapt at Ansem en masse. Ansem smirked._

"_I see…" he said. Cords of darkness slammed them into the wall, tightening about their necks._

"_No!" Fenrir cried._

"_The cords will tighten every so often. Unless you use the darkness," Ansem said._

"_You bastard!" Fenrir growled. The cords tightened, eliciting a whimper from Sei._

"_Insults make it worse," Ansem said, grinning evilly._

"_You want me to use the darkness?" Fenrir asked softly, her voice flat._

"_Of course!"_

"_FINE!"_

_An immense wall of darkness slammed into Ansem, knocking him back several feet. He picked himself up with difficulty, staring at Fenrir. _

_A wall seemed to have fallen away from her wings, which were a deep black and easily twice their size, perhaps forty or fifty feet in span. The black of her irises had enveloped the silver of her pupils, and pure darkness dripped from the edges of her spade, sizzling as it hit the ground._

"_Do you really want to see my mastery of the darkness?" she said. A black ball formed around Ansem, then condensed into a razor-sharp blade. The blade ripped through his shoulders and stopped in front of his heart._

"_Release them. Or I will kill you," Fenrir said softly._

_The bonds snapped. Alderyn and the others fell to the ground, coughing and clutching their throats. Thin wires of darkness shot out of the night and lashed against Ansem, scoring deep cuts on his skin. Fenrir stared at him as the wires increased their speed. Ansem gritted his teeth grimly. Then one slashed him across the bridge of his nose and his eye, and he cried out. Still the wires continued._

"_Fenrir, stop!" Sephiroth cried. She blinked, and the wires fell away, merging with the darkness dripping from her spade. Panting, Ansem fell to the ground, unconscious. Sephiroth moved forward, and laid a hand on Fenrir's shoulder, and yanked it away. Darkness had nearly taken his hand off._

"_Take him to an oubliette," Fenrir said without turning. "Leave him there for a while. In the meantime, keep well away from me. It'll take me a while to fix this. I sacrificed my body to the darkness as he did, but I used a spell to contain whatever remains of my heart, if anything. The form you see is just a fading spell. No one touch me. Spread the word."_

_With that, she stalked off into the night._

_-end part 5-_

Fenrir, Ansem, and Sephiroth: O.O;; (Stunned)

Alderyn: You dorks. Anyway, this was once a lot longer, but I guess Fenrir figured it was too long and cut it in half again. So… yeah. Another damn cliffhanger. (Looks at Ansem, Fenrir, and Sephiroth) Would you three snap out of it already?


	7. Chapter 6

**They all sat in the living room, except Alderyn. Faces downcast, no one spoke. Sei halfheartedly played FMA. All were worried about Fenrir. Sounds of pots and pans banging in the kitchen were the only things that pierced the silence.**

"**Okay, everybody, snack time," Alderyn said cheerfully, coming into the room. They just stared at her. She stared back, smiling. "Come on, it'll boost morale," she said. She set the plate down. "Strawberry tarts and milk. I may not be a great chef, but these turned out pretty good."**

**Sephiroth couldn't take it anymore. He snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you? After what just happened how can you act so happy? I don't think you even care about what Fenrir went through!" he shouted. Everyone jumped. Alderyn's face went from cheerful to stricken to rage in an instant.**

"**Someone around this place needs to take charge. You are too busy moping about what can't be changed. Fenrir is strong enough to take control again. And who are you to say I don't care? I care a whole lot more than people think," Alderyn yelled back, voice full of venom. Her eyes flashed angrily. Everyone just watched, unsure of what to say.**

"**I wonder why they don't see it, hmm? Would it be that you are forever beating the crap outta her?" Sephiroth's voice dripped with sarcasm.**

"**GODDAMMIT! I AM FED UP WITH YOU! What about how you act, Mr. Aloof? You are such a chauvinistic ass," Alderyn retorted.**

"**Better an ass than a BITCH!" Sephiroth bellowed.**

**In a flash one of Alderyn's swords was out of its sheath. The tip was pointed at Sephiroth's neck.**

"**If it must come to this, let's settle it now." Alderyn's voice was like ice. Sephiroth glared down at the shorter girl.**

"**I accept your challenge," Sephiroth said formally, yet with barely controlled anger.**

**Sei spoke up first.**

"**This isn't the time to do this. Can't you guys just work it out?" She tried to calm the two down but they ignored her. Chichiri tapped her shoulder and shook his head. He could see that Alderyn may have had two motives behind this action. Sei quieted, trusting Chichiri's judgment. Ed just sat there, clueless.**

"**Let's go outside," Alderyn said tersely, leading the way. Nobody answered.**

**They went to a clearing used for training. Alderyn and Sephiroth faced each other.**

"**All rules apply. Whoever forfeits or is pinned loses," Alderyn stated, her face an icy calm. Both warriors unsheathed their weapons, Sephiroth's Masamune and Alderyn's katanas. They took their ready stance. Ed yelled for the duel to begin.**

**Both combatants leapt into action. Immediately, Sephiroth took up the offense, smashing his sword down, trying to crush the smaller warrior's defense. Alderyn held strong, parrying every blow. When his sword slammed downward, it passed through Alderyn. Sephiroth started.**

**Alderyn's katana cut his arm from behind. What Sephiroth had hit was the afterimage Alderyn left behind as she moved behind him with lightning speed. He whipped around and slashed at Alderyn, who spread her wings and flapped into the air. He twisted his sword and stabbed upwards with eye-blurring speed, but Alderyn was faster. She rocketed forward and scored two cuts on Sephiroth's cheekbones.**

**Alderyn skidded to a halt, digging her katanas into the earth. She shoved forward, flying at Sephiroth at a speed he couldn't hope to block. Alderyn stabbed at him, hoping to catch his shoulder to incapacitate him. She sliced through thin air. Sephiroth stood several feet away, a few feathers falling to the ground from the black raven's wing that had appeared out of nowhere on his shoulder. He smirked at her, and rushed forward. She tripped him, and he sprawled on the dirt, almost losing his sword.**

**He leapt up. Alderyn wasted no time in attacking again. Relentlessly she attacked, first this side, then that. Her swords darted back and forth. Sephiroth was hard pressed to keep up.**

**Then, locking her swords on either side of his, she flung it out of his hand with a flick of her wrist. The tips of her swords flew right back to his neck. Sephiroth stared angrily into Alderyn's eyes, which had turned from their normal dark blue green to dark steel blue.**

"**You lose," she said simply and sheathed both swords. Two dots of red blood dripped down Sephiroth's neck. Alderyn turned on her heel and walked briskly to the forest.**

**Sephiroth glared at the retreating figure of Alderyn. Then he picked up his sword and stormed back to the castle. Ed turned to Sei.**

"**Where'd she learn to fight like that?" he asked.**

**Sei sighed.**

"**She trained for three years nonstop with two Byakko seishi, Tokaki and Subaru. They taught her both swordsmanship and martial arts. After that she continued her training on Mt. Taiykoku for another three years," she explained. She left out certain bits of info.**

"**Oh," Ed replied and looked towards where Alderyn had gone.**

**While they were talking Chichiri had followed Alderyn into the forest.**

**­**-

_Fenrir was in this same forest, trying to recall the spell used to contain her dark form and failing. The spell energy grew over her hands and faded, for the tenth time._

"_No… I can't do it…" Fenrir whispered. She tried to cast the spell on her spade, but that too failed._

"_What do I do? I can't be near people unless I can cast that spell!" she murmured. "What was it…? Kage… Kagenui no Jutsu!" The spell rose, then faded. "No…. No! NOOO!"_

_-_

**Alderyn stepped off the beaten path, mind in turmoil. Stepping lightly, she walked towards the sound of a creek.**

**When she got there she sat under a tree with a sigh. She brought her hand up to her face and rubbed her temples.**

**Chichiri came and sat beside her. His mask was off.**

"**He hates me, huh?" Alderyn asked softly. Her face was blank as she stared at the ground.**

"**I don't think so. He's just frustrated," Chichiri answered. Alderyn nodded, still unsure. They sat in silence for a few minutes.**

"**Was I wrong?" Alderyn asked, breaking the silence.**

"**For what?" Chichiri asked.**

"**For being cheerful then fighting Sephiroth." A lost look crossed Alderyn's face.**

**Chichiri put his arm around her and pulled her close. She tensed then relaxed into him.**

"**No. You were doing what you thought was best. That's all you can do in times like this." He squeezed her slightly. She smiled lightly up at him, then cuddled against him. They sat like that for a while, not talking.**

**A mischievous smile crossed Chichiri's face.**

"**Did you see Ed and Sephiroth's face when you beat him, no da? Ed was so shocked you could insult his height and you wouldn't know it." Alderyn laughed at this. She beamed up at Chichiri. He returned the smile.**

"**I showed them, didn't I?" Alderyn said, still laughing.**

"**Yep, no da. I think Sephiroth underestimated you in the beginning, no da."**

**The two talked for the rest of the afternoon. Chichiri was happy he had gotten Alderyn's mind off the day's events.**

**Dusk came and both got up to go. Alderyn gave Chichiri a peck on the cheek. **

"**Thank you," she whispered. Then she took off towards the castle. "Catch me if you can!" she yelled behind her. Chichiri followed in pursuit.**

**-Later that night-**

**After hours of pacing around the castle, Sephiroth was thrown outside by Sei. **

**Grumbling about idiotic dog demons, he made his way into the forest. It was getting dark, but Sephiroth paid no mind. He looked up when a flash of light caught his attention.**

**He raised an eyebrow and made his way towards it.**

"**Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" Sephiroth stopped. That was Fenrir's voice. Under all the anger in it Sephiroth could hear the desperation. He peeked into the clearing. Before him Fenrir stood, dark energies swirling around her. She looked exhausted.**

**Anger at Ansem welled up in him. How dare he do something like this to Fenrir! He had no right! The anger then turned to himself for not being able to protect her. (Typical male ego- Alderyn. **_Stupid male ego- Fenrir.)_

_Her back was to him. "I felt that," she said._

"_Huh?" _

"_Snappy comeback. I don't need anyone to protect me."_

_Sephiroth moved towards her. She moved away. She turned to him and shook her head._

"_No. Don't come near me," she said. "Don't touch me, either."_

"_Why?" Sephiroth asked._

"_If you touch me, you'll die. There's nothing of me but darkness and a spell to help me retain this form," Fenrir said softly. "But that spell is fading. I must renew it, but I can't."_

_Sephiroth moved forward again. Fenrir tried to back away, but Sephiroth was too fast. He grabbed her shoulders. Almost instantly, darkness began to envelop his hands._

"_Let go! You'll die!" Fenrir cried, twisting around. But Sephiroth only tightened his grip._

"_You are coming back to Urquhart was me," he said, the strain of holding her evident in his voice. "We will return to Urquhart, and you will play with Hikage and Nessie. We will play 'Soul Calibur 2.' We will torture Alderyn and Chichiri. We will do everything we always have!"_

"_How? No one can be near me!" Fenrir said scornfully._

"_I will be near you!"_

"_No!"_

_Sephiroth grinned. "Kagenui no Jutsu!" he said. Immediately a light forced the darkness on his hands back. The light travelled over Fenrir's body, sealing her spade, shrinking her wings back to their normal size, and returning her eyes to their normal color. Sephiroth released her._

_Fenrir fell to her knees with relief. "How… how the hell?"_

_Sephiroth only smiled._

"_Why couldn't I?"_

"_I'm guessing your battles against Hikage and Ansem exhausted your magic energies," Sephiroth explained. _

_Fenrir smiled back. Then she fell forward onto Sephiroth, tightly embracing him._

"_Thank you," she whispered._

_Sephiroth looked alarmed, then wrapped his arms around her. Soon Fenrir had fallen asleep. Sephiroth picked her up, and carried her back to the castle._

_-_

_Pacing the ramparts, Sei continually glanced at the forest. Then she noticed a bobbing light._

"_?"_

_The light reached the fringes, and Sei saw that it was Sephiroth, carrying the unconscious Fenrir._

"_Ed! They're back! And Seph's got Fenrir!" she bellowed. She and Ed raced out to meet them._

"_What's wrong with her?" Ed asked._

"_Exhausted," Sephiroth explained. "Where're Alderyn and Chichiri?"_

"_MIA, at the moment."_

**Out of the forest, and out of breath, the pair walked. Both Alderyn and Chichiri trudged, exhausted, towards the others. When Alderyn saw Sephiroth holding Fenrir, she ran up to them.**

"**She's okay." Alderyn let out a sigh, avoiding meeting Sephiroth's gaze.**

_The two stood silently, unsure what to say. Then Sei broke the silence._

"_Are we gonna stand around all night, or are we gonna take a leaf outta Fenrir's book and sleep?"_

_-_

_A few days later, Fenrir paused while eating breakfast, her spoon of Cinnamon Toast Crunch halfway to her mouth._

"_What?" Sephiroth asked._

"_I get the feeling we forgot something."_

_Down in the oubliette, Ansem was pounding on the door._

"_Hello! What about me? I'm hungry!" he bellowed._

_-end part 6-_

Fenrir: Wow! That was long! I would have split it, but I couldn't find any good parts to split it at… And "Kagenui no Jutsu" comes from the Naruto manga, but I forget what it means. Oops.

Ansem: You left me in an oubliette!

Fenrir: Oops! Gomen Nasai! (Latches onto him. Ansem's eye twitches)

Sephiroth: Well, you do put people in oubliettes to forget about them.

Alderyn: Why are you still here?


	8. Intermission: Head in the Clouds

_Intermission: Head in the Clouds_

_Far above, on clouds clinging to the area above Castle Urquhart, Aoife and Andante watched._

"_Okay, what the HELL was all that about?" Aoife said, throwing dirty looks at Andante._

"_I have no idea. None of that was MY input," he replied, glaring at Aoife._

"_It vas mine," came a voice from behind them. They jumped, and nearly fell off the cloud. Andante turned and cried out._

_A youth with spiky black hair and wide eyes stared at them. He too had long pointed ears like Andante._

"_Who the hell are you?" Aoife said angrily._

"_Fenrir's latest muse. My name's Mirath Sugoi. Nationality: German, race: demon. Echo and Siegfried sent me to keep an eye on you, Andante," he said._

"_Oh shit!" Andante hissed. Aoife turned to him. _

"_I know who Siegfried is, but who's Echo?" she asked._

"_Fenrir's head muse. Either he or Fenrir herself knows I'm up to something," Andante groaned._

"_Oh fuck!"_


	9. Chapter 7

_A few months later, Fenrir awoke on the couch conscious of a warm golden light. She got up and went over to the window. The sun was bright and shining. Hikage lurked pitifully in the shadow of the castle as swallows winged overhead. Numerous other birds sang in the trees. Small animals scurried over the forest floor. To Fenrir, it looked disgusting._

_She found Sephiroth near the oubliette, and woke him up._

"_It's sunny out," she said with distaste._

"_Really? Cool! I'll tell the others!" Sephiroth exclaimed, rushing off._

"_No, no, wait, no!" Fenrir yelled as his coat whipped around the corner. "Dammit." She raced off after him._

"_Hello? Anyone out there? Can I come out now?" came Ansem's voice._

Fenrir trudged slowly to the living room. When she got there she found that Sephiroth had assembled everyone. All were dressed for a day in the sun.

"**Finally. Come on Fenrir! Let's go before the sun disappears!" Sei said excitedly. Fenrir glared at her.**

"**NO."**

"**Come on, Fenrir! You'll have fun. I tested the loch and it's warm," Alderyn said. She wore a bikini and board shorts. Chichiri stood next to her in blue swim trunks. When Fenrir didn't answer Sei, Ed, Sephiroth, and Chichiri walked outside. Fenrir continued to glare. Alderyn grabbed Fenrir and dragged her outside. Fenrir fought tooth and nail but Alderyn was too stubborn to give in. When she had gotten Fenrir outside, she locked the castle.**

"_No!" Fenrir cried. She slammed into the door repeatedly, then felt the sun on her back. She hissed, and raced under a jumble of rocks she'd conjured.__Only the silver of her pupils was visible._

"_Come on, Fenrir! Come on out," Alderyn wheedled, as though trying to call some sort of animal._

_Fenrir made a noise like an angry cat._

_-_

_Meanwhile, Ansem had picked the lock on the oubliette, and gotten loose._

"_Finally I can get revenge!" he cried, laughing evilly._

_-_

_An hour later, Fenrir was still under the rock pile._

"_Oh, I give up!" Alderyn cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Sephiroth, you get her out!"_

_Sephiroth shrugged, and left off teasing Nessie to try and get Fenrir out into the sun._

"_Hey Fenrir, come on out," he said, getting down on his hands and knees to peer into Fenrir's 'cave.' A claw shot out at him. He backed off, falling on his ass. He looked at Alderyn. "I don't think there'll be any getting her out."_

"_I'll get her out."_

_With that Fenrir's miniature cave thing was blown unceremoniously into the loch. Sei cheered as the waves crashed into her and tossed her around. Fenrir was still in a crouching position, more than halfway into jackal form, her most powerful. She made a yipping noise._

_Ansem stood several feet away, laughing his head off at the astonished Fenrir. The other's hands flew to their weapons, some being conjured out of Hammerspace, but before they could move, Fenrir had shot out, turned back to semi-human form, knocked Ansem round the head with a rock, and knocked him out cold. She dragged him into the shadow of the castle, tied him up, and retreated out of the sunlight and under a tree._

"_Reminds me of a cockroach when you turn on the kitchen light," Sei remarked. A hammer popped into existence and dropped onto her head._

_-_

_A few hours later, Alderyn glanced over at Fenrir. She was huddled under the tree still with her massive black wings spread around her. Her eyes were slightly visible in the gap between her wings._

"_Fenrir, are you gonna join us?" Alderyn called._

"_No!" Fenrir snapped, closing her wings tighter._

_Alderyn shrugged. "Okay, then." She turned to Sephiroth. "Hey Sephiroth, come over here!"_

_Sephiroth turned, stopped dunking Sei and Ed, and swam over to Alderyn. "What?"_

_Alderyn whispered something in his ear. He grinned evilly, and walked over to Fenrir's tree, stopping a few feet away._

"_Boy, boy is it hot out here!" he said unnecessarily loudly. "Too hot to wear a shirt!"_

_Fenrir's wings parted slightly._

_Sephiroth pretended not to notice, and yanked off his shirt. He turned and peered through the gap in Fenrir's wings._

"_You coming out?" he asked._

_A low growling noise echoed out of her wings, and a thick black barrier spell went up, making Sephiroth leap back in alarm or risk losing his nose._

"_I don't get it!" Alderyn cried in consternation. "A shirtless bisho should have made Fenrir do anything!"_

"_She must really hate the sun," Sei said._

Alderyn sighed, how could anyone hate the sun? Gathering a spell, she muttered the incantation. A ball of water lifted itself out of the lake. It threw itself at Fenrir and exploded on contact. Fenrir emerged soaking wet. The falcon-winged girl smirked at her. Fenrir snarled at Alderyn.

_However, once she felt the strong sunlight, Fenrir squawked and retreated under the tree once more._

"_Damn!" Alderyn swore._

_Hidden behind her wings again, Fenrir began weaving together a spell of her own._

"_Let's see… clouds… storm… rain… fog… anything else that makes up Scotland weather…" she mumbled, drawing the kanji for each in the air and tying them with "tsunagu" (bind.) Slowly, she released the spell._

_Dark clouds began to build on the horizon, with intermittent flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. The wind began to pick up as a thick fog rolled in._

"_Oh no!" Alderyn cried. Everyone headed back into the castle, closely followed by Hikage._

_Fenrir still stood outside. Though it was pouring down rain, she was completely dry. Or at least, drier than she should have been. She was still a little damp from Alderyn's spell._

"_Never mess with a master illusionist!" she crowed, laughing gleefully. As she headed in, she noticed Ansem, still unconscious. Sighing, she dragged him in. Once inside, Ansem awoke. _

"_Where am I?" he asked. "Who are you?" he said, seeing Fenrir, whose eyes bugged out of her head. Then he blinked. "Who am I?" he said bemusedly._

_Fenrir's astonished cry rang through the castle._

"_WHAT THE FUCK?"_

_Alderyn, Sephiroth, and the others raced into the foyer._

"_What the HELL?" Alderyn cried._

_Ansem looked at them, smiling pleasantly. "Hello. Who are you all? I'm… not quite sure who I am. Can anyone tell me who I am?"_

Alderyn walked up to Ansem and began to poke him in the head.

"**Alright, Ansem, stop joking." Her pokes became harder. "If you don't I shall become most violent." Ansem stared at Alderyn, fear evident in his face.**

"**Who is this crazy lady and why is she poking me?" Before anyone could answer, Alderyn roared, "WHAT?" and began chasing Ansem around the courtyard.**

"_Aah! Nyao!" Ansem cried. Everyone froze._

"_Did he just meow?" Sephiroth said._

"_I think so," Ed replied, staring incredulously at the obviously confused Ansem._

_Ansem looked around, vaguely reminding Fenrir of a certain air-headed demon lord. "Huh? I don't…"_

"_Don't even ask, dude," Fenrir said. _

_Ansem grinned broadly. "Okay! Then I won't!" he replied cheerfully._

_With a loud yell Alderyn jumped forward. Chichiri grabbed her hair._

"_Don't do that, no da," he said. Alderyn flailed around, but Chichiri held fast. "Leave him to Fenrir, no da."_

_Grudgingly, Alderyn stopped._

"_I still haven't forgiven you!" she yelled._

_Ansem looked clueless. "For what?" he asked._

"_Maybe later," Fenrir said._

_-end part 7-_

Fenrir: Bleah! That took forever to finish. :P And an oubliette is, in the words of Hoggle, "A place to put people to **forget** about 'em." It's kind of like a dungeon, but when you put someone there you just leave 'em.

Ansem: You gave me amnesia!

Fenrir: (Latches onto his waist… again) I had to keep you in here somehow! And I got you out of the oubliette!

Ansem: True…

Alderyn: Would you get out of the Author's Notes already?


	10. Chapter 8

_Late that night, Fenrir asleep on the couch again and Ansem asleep on the floor, a bright flash of light lit the room. A loud crack of thunder closely followed._

_Fenrir's eyes snapped open as wind echoed through the castle. She looked over at Ansem, who was sleeping fitfully. She headed to the window._

_Wind-blown rain lashed the area, coming down in sheets. Nessie was hunkered down on shore, the surface of the loch rolling and heaving with whitecaps plainly visible. A bolt of lightning hit a tree, and Fenrir impulsively ducked. She decided to wake the others._

_Laying a light sleep spell over Ansem, Fenrir hurried to the main hall, where Sephiroth slept. She cast a low-level glow spell, and cautiously headed in. a hand clapped on her shoulder, and she nearly screamed, but checked herself. Fenrir turned and saw Sephiroth standing behind her, wearing baggy pajama bottoms._

"_What's up?" he asked._

"_Strong thunderstorm," Fenrir replied. "I'm gonna wake the others."_

_Sephiroth nodded, and the two headed towards Alderyn's room. A loud peal of thunder sounded, and they both jumped. Sephiroth grabbed Fenrir's shoulder. Carefully, the two headed into Alderyn's room, remembering the last time they'd come in._

"_Alderyn? Chichiri?" Fenrir called. The duo jumped as a rattling noise echoed from the closet. Sephiroth and Fenrir exchanged looks, and Fenrir laid a hand on the doorknob. As they felt a breeze, Fenrir looked towards the window. It was blown wide open and slamming noisily against the wall._

_Sephiroth forced it shut as Fenrir opened the closet doors and burst out laughing. Alderyn and Chichiri were in the closet, Alderyn under a sheet and Chichiri on a shelf._

"_What are you guys doing in there?" Fenrir asked._

"_The window spooked us," Alderyn admitted sheepishly, peering out of the sheet._

"_You guys should really come out of the closet now," Sephiroth said with a laugh._

_"Screw you," Alderyn muttered. She and Chichiri clambered out of the closet, Chichiri nearly falling on Alderyn. "So what're you guys doing here?"_

"_Trying to get everyone in one room until the storm lets up," Fenrir replied. "I haven't seen one this bad in ages."_

"_We'll go find Sei and Ed, no da," Chichiri said. "Where's our forgetful friend Ansem, no da?"_

"_Back in the TV room, under a spell to keep him asleep until we get back," Fenrir said._

_Alderyn and Chichiri went towards Fenrir's room, where Sei and Ed were sleeping, and Fenrir and Sephiroth headed back to the TV room._

_-In Fenrir's room-_

"**They're coming!"**

"**Yes."**

"**Ya ready?"**

"**Hell yeah!"**

**-Outside Fenrir's door-**

**Alderyn and Chichiri walked towards Fenrir's room. All that could be heard was the storm outside and the pair's footsteps. Alderyn glanced around nervously. This was too much like a horror movie for her liking. Alderyn was horrible with horror movies. Whenever she was forced to watch a really scary one she was terribly paranoid for days after. She moved a little closer to Chichiri. He didn't seem to notice.**

**They reached Fenrir's room. Alderyn slowly opened the door. When it was halfway open a screaming Sei and Ed jumped out, spraying silly string on the other two. Both Chichiri and Alderyn turned and ran down the hall. Their screams echoed through the castle, as Sei and Ed chased them.**

_Fenrir and Sephiroth whipped around as Alderyn and Chichiri, covered in Silly String, raced towards them, closely pursued by Sei and Ed._

_"Oh shit!" the two yelled, also running. They raced towards the TV room, bowling Ansem over and crashing into the wall._

"_Oww…" Fenrir moaned. She had crashed headlong into the wall. Sephiroth and the others had landed on her, so it was a wonder she could make any sound at all._

**Everyone groaned as they tried to disentangle themselves. Alderyn whacked both Sei and Ed hard in the head. They just kept laughing.**

**When everyone was more or less calmed down, they took a seat. Sei sat in a puffy chair with Ed on the floor in front of her. Ansem (who was obviously awake by now,) Fenrir, and Sephiroth sat on the couch. Chichiri and Alderyn sat on the love seat. Both had moved slightly closer together.**

"**So why did you call us down here again?" Ed asked, looking at Fenrir.**

_"I sense something in this storm," she replied._

"_Like what?"_

"_Like I don't know, but something to make my Spade stick to the bloody wall," she said crossly, pointing. Her Spade was stuck halfway up the stone wall._

"_A magnetic storm, perhaps?" Sephiroth said quizzically. "I noticed my sword was also sticking to the wall." All eyes turned to Ansem._

"_What?" he asked._

"_Is there such a thing as a magnetic storm, no da?" Chichiri asked._

"_How should I know?" Ansem said._

"_You're the scientist!" Sei cried._

"_I am?"_

_Sei gave a cry of frustration._

_Abruptly they noticed the roar of the storm had ceased. Fenrir got up and walked to the window. She gave a cry of amazement._

"_What?" Sephiroth said, getting up to look. He too cried out._

"_What is it?" the others chorused._

"_WE'RE IN THE FRIGGIN' JURASSIC!"_

"_WHAT!"_

_-end part 8-_

Fenrir: Whee! Another cliffy!

Alderyn: We're so evil! (High five)

Sephiroth: Is there really such a thing as a magnetic storm?

Ansem: I dunno.

Fenrir: Neither do I.

Alderyn: Nope.

Everyone: Umm… … …


	11. Chapter 9

Fenrir: Okay, I wrote all of this bit, since Alderyn professes to know NOTHING about dinosaurs. And in case anyone's wondering, this was written ages ago but I was too lazy to type it. Sorry. Oh yes, in accordance with KH2, Ansem is now Xemnas. 'Kay? We clear on that? Good!

-Part 9-

_Everyone crowded around the window as a tiny pterosaur winged by. A herd of Diplodocus was crashing through the trees, the loch nowhere to be seen. A pair of Ornitholestes quarreled by the water's edge._

"_Where's the loch?" Sephiroth asked. _

"_The loch was formed by glaciers. Those haven't appeared yet," Fenrir answered._

"_Hey, if we're in the Jurassic, how come we're still in the castle?" Sei asked. Fenrir stared at her. Then the castle disappeared._

_Fenrir and Alderyn both opened their wings immediately. The others weren't so lucky. Fenrir swooped over to Sephiroth and caught him under his arms. He held on tight to her arm as she shot over to Xemnas, only barely managing to catch him by the hand. Alderyn barely saved Sei and Ed, who were stupid enough to cling to each other, by grabbing the back of Ed's jacket. Chichiri simply teleported down._

_Once they landed, Fenrir turned to glare at Sei._

"_Never, EVER insert logic into our lives again!" she snarled. Sei saluted._

"_What do we do now?" Xemnas asked. _

"_Explore, no da?" Chichiri asked._

"_Sounds good to me! Okay, let's go!" Fenrir said enthusiastically._

_Alderyn groaned. "Look Fenrir, this isn't a picnic," she began. But Fenrir and Sephiroth were already gone, a rustling in the brush the only sign they were there. The others looked at each other._

"_Wait for us!" they chorused._

_-O-_

_Fenrir and Sephiroth were high up in a conifer tree, watching the Ornitholestes._

"_What are they?" Sephiroth asked._

" _Ornitholestes," Fenrir replied. "Small carnivorous dinosaurs that lived mainly in the Jurassic and had a taste for baby Diplodocus. Go them."_

"_You seem to know a lot."_

"_Yeah, been a dino nerd for years."_

_The two continued watching the dinosaurs. _

_A cry echoed through the trees, startling them. Fenrir looked around._

"_Did that sound like Alderyn?" she asked. Another cry reverberated through the trees. Fenrir opened her wings and swooped away, Sephiroth following._

_A few minutes later Fenrir back-winged and landed. Xemnas was slumped against a tree, blood running down his forehead._

"_Shit!" Fenrir swore. "Sephiroth, get over here! I can't do healing magic." Sephiroth cast a quick cure spell on Xemnas, who awakened with a dazed look._

"_What happened?" Sephiroth asked. _

"_You're pretty," Xemnas mumbled, eyes unfocused. Sephiroth slapped him. Xemnas blinked, then his eyes uncrossed and he focused on Sephiroth. "Some big dinosaur carried off what's-her-name, Alderyn, I think. Anyway, I tried to stop it, but it hit me with its tail."_

"_Where are the others?" Fenrir asked._

"_Chasing the dinosaur."_

_Fenrir opened her wings and flew over the trees. She hastily landed in a clearing, watching a large bull Allosaurus warily._

"_Hey you!" she shouted, flicking a pebble at it. The dinosaur turned to her. Alderyn, who had been feigning unconsciousness, hastily jumped up and ran behind a tree. Fenrir and the Allosaur locked gazes. Finally the Allosaur bowed down in submission. Fenrir moved forward and rubbed his eyecrests._

"_Wow," Alderyn breathed._

"_What?" Sephiroth and Xemnas asked._

"_Mind-control magic," Alderyn answered. "I knew Fenrir was a master, but I've never seen her actually cast it. It's a magic specific to demonkind."_

_Everyone shuddered._

_All of a sudden, the area lurched and warped, turning back to Castle Urquhart. Somehow, the Allosaur and a Deinonychus that had been sniffing Ed's coat had come along with them._

"_Can I keep them?" Fenrir begged, hugging the Deinonychus and rubbing the Allosaur with her wingtip. "I can cast any mind-control spell in existence to make doubly sure they obey me!"_

_Everyone twitched._

_-End part 10-_

Fenrir: w00t, teh yaoiness begins! XD Just wait… I'll have my smexy…

Alderyn: Uh-oh. She's plotting again.


	12. Chapter 10

"_St-stupid, bl-bl-bloody…"_

"_Geez, Fenrir. You really do hate the cold, don't you?"_

"_F-f-fuck off."_

_Fenrir sat at one end of the sofa, huddled in numerous blankets. Xemnas sat at the other end, teasing Fenrir mercilessly. Sephiroth sat by the window, absently staring at the frozen waters of the loch. Outside, the wind howled audibly, making Fenrir shiver again. She burrowed deeper into the blankets until only the tips of her ears were visible._

"_Hey Seph. Whatcha staring at?"_

_Sephiroth jumped and turned to find Xemnas watching him._

"_Nothing," he replied quickly, heart pounding. He could feel his face burning and turned to the window. He frowned at something winging over the mountains. "What's that?"_

"_What's what?" Fenrir grumbled, emerging from her burrow of cloth. She and Xemnas rose to stand behind Sephiroth. Heat flooded Sephiroth's face as he realized how close Xemnas was. Fenrir spotted the thing and teleported away. Another dot joined the first for a few minutes; then Fenrir reappeared on the couch, blankets and all._

"_Bloody fuckin' 'ell!" she growled. "Fuckin' freezing out there!"_

"_Damn, Fenrir," Xemnas said in amazement. "Have you been watching 'The Commitments' again?"_

"_F-fuck off, prick."_

"_Yep."_

_Meanwhile the thing drew ever nearer, and it soon became clear that it was someone on the wing. Whoever it was, they were wearing a long black coat, grey camo pants, a beret, black t-shirt, and red-lensed goggles. They tapped on the glass with a leather gloved hand. Sephiroth opened the window with a gust of frigid air and a loud curse from Fenrir._

_The new arrival landed on the flagstones, shaking frost from the feathers of her wings, which were white with blue pinions. She pulled off the beret, freeing a pair of blue-tipped white cat ears. She tugged off the goggles, revealing her single red eye. She suddenly shook herself, flicking frost from her longish white hair and bushy tail. She flicked it back and forth, its blue tip moving with a will of its own._

"_Rather cold out, innit?" she said, grinning to reveal long fangs. "Zat why Fenrir's wrapped up in a quilt?"_

"_Sh-sh-shut up, J-Jynx," Fenrir growled. "I'm n-not an ice d-d-demon l-like y-y-you."_

"_I'm a cat demon, dummy," Jynx said, wagging her finger at Fenrir. Just then alderyn, Chichiri, Sei, and Ed came in._

**"Who the hell are you!" Sei snarled. Alderyn was tense, unsure if the new arrival was hostile or not. Chichiri just stood there, smiling mask in place.**

_Jynx turned to them and bowed, grinning wildly. "My name's Jynx Heureux," she said. "Pleased to meet ya." With a whirl of ice crystals she disappeared. Xemnas blinked.  
_

_"What the hell?" he said._

**Alderyn looked around. "And she went where exactly?" Her face was confused. This castle has been getting weirder and weirder lately, she thought to herself.**

_Fenrir looked around anxiously. "I don't know. She can affect probability, so chances are we'd never find her..."  
_

_While the others discussed the new arrival, Sephiroth found his attention drawn to Xemnas. The other was talking to the others, telling them about Jynx's arrival. His mind wandered._

**"Probability.. How can someone have that ability?" Alderyn asked. She had taken a seat on the couch. Due to the cold she wore a puffy robe and fuzzy slippers. Chichiri sat on the arms of the chair and looked around.**

_"She's... different," Fenrir replied. "She has two personalities, Jynx, whom you met, and Malyse, whom no one wants to meet. The fact that there are essentially two demons in one head prob'ly has something to do with it."_

**"Why'd she come here, No Da?" Chichiri asked.**

_"Why, I sensed a male-on-male pairing! Why else would a cat demon who likes such things go anywhere?"  
_

_Everyone jumped as Jynx appeared half in, half out of the ceiling. She grinned.  
_

_"I wonder who it could be?" she said in a singsong voice. "There're four men here. Who be the lovestruck one or ones?"_

**"I like her!" Alderyn smiled at her. "As long as she doesn't go near Chiri or Ed." Alderyn nodded at the two mentioned men. Chiri just blinked. "These two are as straight as far as I know. Those two though," She pointed to the two silver-haired men. "Are up for contemplation."**

_Sephiroth jumped wildly. "What?" he half shrieked. "No, it's not me! No!" _

Jynx's grin widened. "Oh, but I think it is!" she sang gleefully. With that she disappeared again.

**Chichiri looked at Sephiroth with sympathy. "You know, if she is anything like the people Ali normally likes, there is no escaping her, No Da." **

**Ali nodded. "Yeppers, she seems to want some guy-on-guy here and I bet she's gonna make it happen" Alderyn leaned back slightly into Chichiri.**

_Just then Jynx appeared behind Sei. _

"Though some mild girl-on-girl wouldn't go amiss, either," she said, grinning devilishly. Sei squawked and hid behind Ed. "Ah, C'est la vie," Jynx sighed in mock despair.

**Alderyn snorted. "This should be very interesting." She told them. "So Jynx what are your plans for this guy-on-guyness?"**

_Jynx only smirked. "Ah, trade secret, ma cherie," she said. "First I have to establish uke, seme, who's got the crush on who…"_

_Fenrir leaned closer to Jynx. "Elaborate, my empathic friend," she said conspiratorily. "Tell me, who here has the crush on who?" Jynx lifted her good eyebrow.  
_

"_Aside from the girls and the bishos?" she said sarcastically. Fenrir nodded. "Well… let's see… Oh me oh my. I sense a BIG honkin' crush. It's—"_

_A loud clatter sounded. Sephiroth had vacated the room, knocking over his chair in his haste. The others blinked._

**"Ummm, he's never done that before..." Alderyn looked after Sephiroth. She blinked. Normally the man was pretty solid as far as emotions go.**

_Out in the hallway, Sephiroth had his hand pressed against his chest, face scarlet. At that moment he was thoroughly loathing Jynx, due to the fact that she had almost revealed some embarassing things regarding a certain other silver-haired man._

"_Hey Seph? You okay?"_

_Sephiroth yelped and saw Xemnas standing next to him. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said brusquely before storming away. Xemnas stared after him, wondering what the hell was going on. He started after Sephiroth.  
_

_-  
_

_Meanwhile, Jynx was talking to the girls about the difficulties of hooking up two men. The bishies made faces.  
_

_"The main trouble is, they never follow their emotions," the white-haired cat demon said. "It's like pullin' teeth to--" Her ears twitched. "I sense budding yaoi romance!" She sprang to her feet and sprinted away._

**"She does that alot, no da." Chichiri commented looking at the demon. Alderyn nodded. **

**"She sure is quirky, how'd you meet her Fenrir?" Alderyn asked the other demon in the room.**

"_Er…" Fenrir began uncertainly. "She's cheated me out of some money several times." The others nodded. "See, we used to play cards, but she'd always start messing with probability. You'd think I'd have learned, but…"_

"_Dork," Sei snickered. Fenrir glared at her._

"_Anyway… whenever I'd confront her about it, she'd let Malyse out," she continued. "Malyse is homicidal, sadistic, and more than a bit psychopathic. She beat me up good once." Fenrir pulled aside her hair and revealed a ropy scar on the back of her neck. "Courtesy of Malyse." _

**Alderyn looked at the scar. She brought her hand up and...poked it. Twice.**

_Fenrir flinched away.  
_

_"Nyah, don't do that," she snapped.  
_

_Meanwhile, Xemnas was still trying to catch Sephiroth, who was heading straight for the front door.  
_

_"Don't leave!" Xemnas said. He quickened his pace. Sephiroth noticed and panicked.  
_

_"Stop following me!" he shouted. He took off. Jynx, watching from the ceiling, snickered to herself._

_Sephiroth ran as fast as he could, trying to escape Xemnas.  
_

_"Stop it!" he shouted at him. Determined to get to the bottom of Sephiroth's strange behavior, Xemnas quickened his pace to keep up. The two raced through the castle, slowly moving closer to the front gate. They shot into the courtyard and out to the grounds. Jynx, winging behind them under an invisibility spell, laboured to keep up.  
_

_"Dammit, they can run faster than I can fly!" she growled. She was more of a long-distance flyer than a racer._

**Chiri looked out the window. "It looks like the two are giving Jynx the slip, no da, or trying to at least." He told them. Alderyn hopped over to the window and looked out. **

**"Yep, those two are giving her a run for her money!" she chirped.**

_Fenrir glanced out the window. "She'll get her second wind soon enough," she said offhandedly. "Watch." Sure enough, Jynx had stopped and was hovering for a moment. Abruptly she shot off after Xemnas and Sephiroth, winging hard and speeding after them._

_Jynx hissed faintly as she drew closer to them, her tail waving like a banner behind her. She swore. If Sephiroth didn't watch where he was going, he would end up in the loch. The loch was frozen over from the cold, but a fully grown male falling onto the ice would break it quick enough. Although… a wicked grin stole over Jynx's face and she closed her eye. An eldritch aura surrounded her outstretched hand, then oozed over Xemnas and Sephiroth. The two didn't notice._

"_What was that?" Sei asked disgustedly. Fenrir smirked._

"_She just gave those two a run of bad luck," she replied._

**Alderyn looked up confused. "What kind of bad luck exactly?" She asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.**

"_Just your regular, run of the mill, slip going down the stairs and twist your ankle bad luck," Fenrir answered with a shrug._

_Meanwhile, Sephiroth was on a beeline for the loch. Fenrir and the others observed Jynx casting another spell, this one enveloping her in bluish light._

"_Good luck, to make sure whatever she's planning works," Fenrir explained._

_Sephiroth wasn't watching where he was going. He tripped over a tree root and flew over the loch, crashing through the ice._

"_Oh shit!" Xemnas cried, feeling partly responsible. He dove in after him. Jynx did some fast spellwork, and a dim blue glow illuminated the ice and water. The ice slowly gathered back over the hole._

**Alderyn paled. "I think we should get out there now." She told the others and turn to leave. She really didn't want to see the two bishies die for Jynx's amusment. They were actually nice bishies...**

"_Wait," Fenrir said. "Didn't you see the glow? They won't die if Jynx and her magic have anything to say about it."_

**Alderyn stopped and went back to the window. She watched nervously. "If you say so."**

_Jynx's eye narrowed when nothing happened. She landed and watched the ice move slightly. She made a slight movement with her hand; the ice slowly parted, and a dripping wet, shivering Xemnas clambered onto the shore. He was carrying an unconscious Sephiroth in his arms. Jynx hastily teleported to the castle.  
_

_"Fenrir, you're a fast flier," she said. "Gimme a hand. You there, bird-person. Are you a fast flier?"_

**"Yeah I am. What do you need me for?" Alderyn asked and blinked at the demon.**

_"Duh! Do you WANT them to die of hypothermia?" Jynx snapped, tapping her foot irritably. "Come ON!" With that she turned and jumped out of the window, flying as fast as she could, massive wings pumping furiously._

**Alderyn was right behind her. Her wings flapped in long rushed strokes,. She sped past Jynx and made it to the two near frozen bishies quickly. She grabbed Sephiroth first. **

**"Xemnas, Jynx will get you. Let me take Sephiroth. I can't carry you both," she told him.**

_Still shivering, Xemnas nodded as Jynx landed and waved cheerily at him. She grabbed his waist and effortlessly rose into the air with a few strokes. Sei gaped.  
_

_"How'd she do that?" she asked Fenrir. Fenrir shrugged.  
_

_"She may not be one for fast flying, but she has pretty powerful wings. She's constructed for long distance flights," she replied. The two hastily backed away from the window as Jynx and Alderyn flew in the window._

**Alderyn flew as fasr as she could back into the house. When she landed she took charge. **

**"Sei I need blankets and I need lotsa them. Ed go heat up some water. Make sure it is good and hot. Fenrir, help me get Seph out of these clothes!" As the others went about their duties, Alderyn began undressing Sephiroth.**

_Jynx landed hard and almost dropped Xemnas. She flopped down on the floor, panting hard.  
_

_"Excuse me while I die, thank you," she groaned. "Not meant to fly that fast, merde..."  
_

_Fenrir, meanwhile, was helping Alderyn, though her face had turned an interesting shade of red. Sei came running in with the blankets then, saving Fenrir from further embarrassment._

**"Now Sei and Fenrir, get Xemnas out of those wet clothes and put him next to Sephiroth." Alderyn ordered as she placed a boatload of blankets on the bishie.**

_Jynx struggled to her feet, noting Fenrir's discomfort.  
_

_"Oh, shove off," she said. "I swear, you heteros... always get so nervous around the opposite gender. Takes one of us homos to get anything--" Her eye lit and she looked at Alderyn. "You scheming little shit! If you weren't straight I'd kiss you!"_

**Alderyn smirked and sweatdropped. "Thank you... I think," she said and went back to taking care of Sephiroth. When Xemnas was undressed she moved him next to Sephiroth. "Chichiri go get more wood. I want it to hella-hot in here." She ordered and he went to comply.**

_Meanwhile, Jynx had grown bored with watching them try to prevent hypothermia. She looked around and noticed Sei wasn't doing anything. She gave a wicked grin again. She crept behind her, tensed slightly, and pounced, glomping the other girl to the floor.  
_

_"Yeeek! Get her off!" Sei cried. Jynx shifted so she was sitting on the dog demon.  
_

_"Nui, nui, nui!" she sang. "They're too busy warming them up! No one can help you know!"_

**Alderyn didn't turn around. Ed had brought the water and both were now occupied by filling some water bags with the water and putting them under the covers. Chichiri was hurriedly stoking the fire, intent on making sure it didn't get out of control.**

_Fenrir, however, noticed.  
_

_"Jynx, get off her," she called. Jynx looked up, ears going flat. "So far as I know, she's straight."  
_

_Jynx reluctantly got up, pouting slightly. "Damn. Three girls and none of them are interested in other girls," she groused. Fenrir rolled her eyes and shook her head._

**Alderyn turned and glared at them, unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. "Move your asses. We have to hurry before these guys go hypo on us. I need more firewood and more blankets. MOVE. NOW!" She practically yelled.**

_"Yeesh, don't have a cow," Jynx growled, still bad-tempered there were no others around for her to have fun with. She raised one hand. A flame snapped into existence and snaked around her wrist before congealing over her palm. "Heads up." She tossed the flame at Chichiri and sulked in the corner.  
_

_"Don't mind her," Fenrir said. "She's just annoyed that she's the only homosexual here. Well, the only out-of-the-closet homo."_

**Alderyn nodded. "Well right nwo we have to take care of these idiots." She looked at them. Color was returning to their cheeks. Both seemed to have moved closer to the other, seeking warmth. "Actually all we can do now is wait," she told the others. "Just keep the fire going and they should be fine." She said and plopped down in a chair with a sigh.**

_Jynx watched them, face inscrutable. She eyed Sephiroth, who was currently dead to the world. She cocked her head.  
_

_"Wonder why he never..." she muttered. Fenrir looked at her.  
_

_"Chuu say something?" she asked. Jynx shook her head, grinning slightly.  
_

_"Nah. Nuffin' much," she said. "Nothing of consequence, anyway." She glanced up at the others. She walked over to Alderyn and muttered something in her ear_.

**Alderyn cocked her head slightly, listening to Jynx.**

_"It'll be one hell of a show when Sephiroth wakes up," Jynx muttered. "Believe you me." Jynx grinned devilishly._

**Alderyn snickered and nodded. "I know what you mean. Seph is gonna be one big tomato when he sees the state he and Xenmas are in." Chichiri looked at the two and shook his head. He was glad he had never been on the end of their scheming.**

_Jynx snickered loudly. "Indeed," she replied. "He seems to be afraid of himself. Perhaps this'll help him get over it." Jynx held out her hands. Frost swirled around them for a moment before it materialized into two completely clear crystals. One she set on the table and the other she kept. "So we can see the show," she said deviously._

**Alderyn's eyebrow quirked up. "I like the way you think. Now what do you guys say," She turn to everyone else in the room, "to a little bit of hot chocolate and scones?" **

_"Oui!" Jynx said enthusiastically, pocketing the crystal. Everyone slowly filed out of the room._

_A few minutes later, Sephiroth awoke. For a moment he didn't know what was cuddled so close to him. Then he got a better look._

"_Oh fuck," he whispered, realizing the thing was Xemnas. Another sparked synapse in his brain later he realized their current state of… ahem… nature. Then he realized Xemnas was shivering, apparently still cold. Ignoring his sensibilities (and urge to flee) Sephiroth pulled him close. He lightly brushed his fingers over Xemnas' cheek, wondering if they'd ever be this close again._

_In the kitchen, everyone (bishies excluded) were huddled around the crystal._

"_Why aren't they doing anything?" Jynx growled._

**"Awww, they're cuddling!" Alderyn squealed. Chichiri stared at her and sweatdropped. He put a hand on her head and pushed her back in her chair. It didn't dampen Alderyn's happy squealing.**

_"Cuddling is all well and good, but that's not why I set up that crystal," Jynx groused. "I mean, yeah it's adorable beyond words, but..." Everyone ignored her muttering as Xemnas also seemed to awaken._

_"Sephiroth?" he asked bemusedly. Then he shivered again. "Do me a favour and don't fall in the loch in winter, 'kay?" __Xemnas blinked. "And... why the hell are you hugging me?"  
_

_Sephiroth hastily released him and sat up. (Fenrir fought the urge to grin as she got a full view of his bare chest.) "W-well, you were... um... shivering, so I..." Xemnas shook his head.  
_

_"What's wrong with you lately? You've been really nervous around me," he said. "I wanna know why."  
_

_"The sexual tension's so tight it twangs," Jynx said smartly._

**"Hehehee, it's like a soap." Alderyn snickered quietly. "Now all we need is a Xenmas twin to come and add to the fun."**

_Jynx shook her head. Meanwhile Sephiroth was trying to explain things to Xemnas.  
_

_"I um... I... like you," he managed. Xemnas stared quizzically at him.  
_

_"Well, duh. We're friends, aren't we?" he asked. Sephiroth shook his head.  
_

_"No, not like... I mean..." With that he trailed off. Then he leaned forward and kissed Xemnas.  
_

_The girls cheered loudly._

**Chichiri and Ed looked somewhat green around the gills. They turned from the scene, praying that the girls never tried to set them up.**

_Xemnas' eyes widened as Sephiroth pulled away.  
_

_"Oh," was all he said for a moment. Then he got his voice back. "That's what you meant." Sephiroth, redder than ever, stared at the blanket, picking at a thread. He nodded.  
_

_"I was depressingly obvious," he admitted. "All the twitching, jumping..." Xemnas nodded and chuckled.  
_

_"You certainly were obvious," he replied, grinning slightly.  
_

_"What is he? A parrot?" Fenrir said._

**"Prolly the tensions messing with his brain." Alderyn said looking at him. "I mean come on the two have to be feeling it down there in this situation."**

_"Yeah..." Their attention snapped back to the crystal so fast it would've induced whiplash. Xemnas was moving closer to Sephiroth.  
_

_"Well," he said, pulling Sephiroth close. "I guess that makes two of us."  
_

_The girls all squealed._

**"Awww, so sweet." Alderyn watched the crystal happily. "Jynx you are a mastermind. These two are perfect for each other!"**

_Jynx grinned deviously. "I'm just cool that way," she said.  
_

_Relief flooded Sephiroth's eyes. He collapsed against Xemnas, hugging him tight. Xemnas smiled and wrapped his arms around him.  
_

_Jynx groaned suddenly. "Why didn't I set up a vid camera?" she growled._

_Xemnas began lightly stroking Sephiroth's hair, gently running his fingers through. He bent lower, kissing the top of Sephiroth's head.  
_

_"All this adorableness is great, but why won't they do blankety-blank?" Jynx asked irritably. Fenrir nodded her agreement.  
_

_Sephiroth himself shivered from cold, leading Xemnas to embrace him tighter. Xemnas kissed Sephiroth again, hoping it would last longer this time._

**"Well, this is cuter than that." Alderyn said. "Hmmmm... so when they get married do they have to only have best men?" Alderyn wondered aloud.**

_"Is that even legal here in Scotland?" Sei asked. The others looked at each other and shrugged. Jynx cried out, turning sharply to the crystal again.  
_

_"Things are gettin' hot down there!" she cried gleefully. The others yelped and hastily refocused on the crystal._

**Alderyn's eyes went to the crystal in excitement.**

_XXX_

_Sephiroth sighed slightly as he cuddled closer to Xemnas, resting his head on the other's chest. Xemnas yawned widely as he toyed with Sephiroth's hair.  
_

_"What'll we tell the others?" he asked through another yawn.  
_

_"Don't know..." Sephiroth replied drowsily, eyes closing. "Don't care..."  
_

_The girls were cheering loudly, congratulating Jynx. Jynx, like the egotistic little shit she was, basked in it, silently gloating. Fenrir shook her head._

**"Now how about we actually get those scones?" Alderyn asked them merrily. "And I'll make sure I set some down there quietly for the two lovebirds. So they when they wake up they can have a little treat."**

_"Ooo, ooo, you should make chocolate chip ones!" Sei said, jumping up and down. "Those're good!"  
_

_"I second that heartily!" Jynx said quickly.  
_

_"Give it a rest, Jynx!" Fenrir cried exasperatedly. "Sei'll never fall for you!"  
_

_Jynx shook her head. "No, I just like chocolate chip scones," she replied._

**Alderyn laughed. "Fine chocolate chip it is." She went about getting all the cookery things needed to make them. Chichiri started to help, used to Ali's routine.**

_"Yay, food! Sugar! Chocolate!" Jynx danced around the kitchen, making a nuisance of herself and getting in the way._

**Alderyn's eye twitched. "If you do not want yourself shoved into a oven heated to 450 degrees, Jynx, then I suggest you stop that now." Alderyn growled menacingly.**

_Jynx grinned. "Nyah nyah nyah, can't burn me!" she taunted. "I'm pyrokinetic AND I control ice!" She blew a raspberry at Alderyn._

**"..."Alderyn glared. "Fine, no scones for you," she harrumphed.**

_Jynx made a sort of squeaking sound. "Nuu, don' do that!" she whined. She gave puppy-eyes... er, puppy-EYE... at Alderyn._

**Alderyn looked at the eyes and gave in. "Fine but you have to be good and STAY THE HELL OUTTA MY KITCHEN!"**

_Jynx saluted. Then she pulled a camera from Hammerspace and melted through the wall.  
_

_"Where'd she go?" Sei asked.  
_

_"Prob'ly to take pictures," Fenrir answered, swiping a few chocolate chips._

Ends.

Fernri: Whee, yaoi! X3

Jynx: Yay!

Fenrir: Ack! Jynx, get outta here!

Alderyn: Well, she is an author… and a character…

Fenrir: (Growling) Dammit…


	13. Chapter 11

Jynx: Look at me, I took over the opening notes! X3 Whoo, fear the fluff!

-Part whatever this is (Look, I lost track)-

**Alderyn tiptoed into the room. The two bishies were sleeping soundly. She giggled softly at how cute the two were. She put the tray of scones on the table, along with a magicked kettle of hot chocolate. She turned to go and heard a sneeze behind. Sephiroth sneezed again and cuddled closer to Xemnas. Alderyn awwwed silently then grew slightly worried. Sephiroth's skin was flushed and it didn't look like it was from the proximity of Xemnas. She left the room, worried.**

_Xemnas stirred slightly. He opened his eyes and looked at Sephiroth. The other sneezed again and woke.  
_

_"You okay?" Xemnas asked. "You don't look so good." Sephiroth shook his head.  
_

_"I don't FEEL so good," he replied, voice sounding thick. He sniffed slightly. Xemnas hugged him, then noticed the scones and hot chocolate. He reached out and grabbed it, sitting up. Sephiroth too sat up, still leaning on Xemnas._

**Alderyn watched through the crystal, mucnhing on a scone. They had better like her scones she thought.**

_Xemnas eagerly took a scone, devouring it hungrily.  
_

_"Want one?" he asked Sephiroth. Sephiroth shook his head, wearily resting his head on Xemnas' shoulder. "Why? They're really good."  
_

_"Not hungry," Sephiroth said with a sigh. Xemnas frowned slightly. He set the plate down and kissed his lover's forehead.  
_

_"For someone who narrowly escaped hypothermia, you're burning up," he said._

Alderyn watched the scene then got up. She started rummaging through the kitchen cupboards. After many curse words, a stubbeed toe, and a sore head, she finally found what she was looking for. It was a bottle of flu medecine. She flipped her wrist and sent it to the table by the two lovers.

_Xemnas noticed and grabbed it. For a moment he wondered where the hell it came from, then shrugged, not really caring. He nudged Sephiroth.  
_

_"Okay, love, time for some medicine," he said in an almost singsongish voice.  
_

_"Hey Alderyn, how's the happy couple?" Fenrir asked around a mouthful of scone._

**Alderyn sighed. "Sephy's got a cold." She told Fenrir and shifted in her seat to make room for another chair to be pulled up to the crystal.**

_"Aw!" Fenrir said, and, as Alderyn predicted, pulled a chair over to the crystal. "That's not cool!"  
_

_"What isn't?" Jynx asked as she walked through the wall.  
_

_"Sephiroth's sick!"  
_

_"Which one's he?"  
_

_"The uke."  
_

_"Aww!"_

**"Wow you guys already decided who's uke and who's seme?" Alderyn raised an eyebrow at that.**

_"Not that hard to tell, yanno."  
_

_"Once an uke, always an uke."  
_

_"You guys sound like a bunch of old ladies," Sei said, walking up with a scone in her hand and another in her mouth. "What's up?"  
_

_"Sephy's sick!" they chorused.  
_

_"Aw!" Sei cried, snagging a chair._

**"It's just like a sewing circle."Alderyn observed. "'Cept we are watching the idiotic lovers and talking 'bout which one's uke and which one's seme..."**

_"Oh boy, sewing," Jynx said sarcastically.  
_

_Meanwhile Xemnas was cradling Sephiroth against his chest. The other was looking distinctly unwell, his cheeks flushed but the rest of his skin pale and drawn. Xemnas petted his lover's hair, hugging Sephiroth close when he started to cough.  
_

_Sephiroth moaned pitifully. "Dammit... I hate being sick," he moaned. Xemnas twined a finger in Sephiroth's hair._

**"Awwww, theyre so cute." Alderyn commented happily and grabbed a scone.**

_"Nod, nod," Jynx and Fenrir said.  
_

_Sephiroth slowly started to fall asleep again. Xemnas too would have fallen asleep, had Sephiroth not started whimpering in his sleep. Xemnas looked down at him in alarm and hugged him close again, trying to soothe him.  
_

_"Shh, shh, it's okay," he murmured, stroking Sephiroth's hair again.  
_

_"Xemnas..." Sephiroth whimpered, still asleep.  
_

_"I'm here, I'm here," Xemnas whispered. Sephiroth seemed to relax._

_"Think we should give them their clothes back so Xemnas can put Sephiroth to bed?" Jynx asked. The others looked at her strangely. She made a face. "I keep forgetting you're all regrettably straight, and therefore are enjoying the show."_

**Alderyn rubbed the back of her neck. "Hehe, I think we should do what Jynx says. We don't want Seph suffering any more do we?"**

_"What'd you guys do with 'em?" Jynx asked.  
_

_"They're still wet," Sei said, pointing to them hanging over in the corner. Jynx looked at her.  
_

_"Come on, I'm a pyro. They'll be dry before you can say 'The lesbian's the only safe choice to return 'em!'" she replied.  
_

_"You could do anything in the time it takes to say that," Sei pointed out.  
_

_Ed and Chichiri, meanwhile, were playing cards in the corner, feeling forgotten._

**"Jynx, you are truly a piece of work." Alderyn laughed. "Dry 'em and I will send them down."**

_Jynx heated the air around the clothes with a snap of her fingers. Within minutes the clothes were bone dry.  
_

_"Voila!" she said proudly. "Betcha thought pyros only worked with flames!"_

**Alderyn flicked her wrist and the clothing disappeared. Her aim was off and they landed on top of Xemnas' head. "Oops..." Ali laughed nervously.**

_"Nice," Jynx remarked.  
_

_Wondering where the hell everything was coming from, Xemnas pulled the clothes off his head. He got dressed (Fenrir and Sei had to excuse themselves for a moment), then dressed Sephiroth. (Fenrir and Sei took another moment. Jynx laughed at them.)_

**Alderyn shamelessly stayed through the whole entire thing. Chichiri pouted at her from the corner and vowed to get her mind off the silver haired bishies later.**

_"Hey... how many rooms are in this place, anyway? Bedrooms, I mean," Jynx asked. The others exchanged looks.  
_

_"That's been a problem since before you arrived," Fenrir replied somewhat guiltily. "See, there're only two bedrooms: mine and Alderyn's. I've been bunking on the couch. Sei and Ed are in my room."_

**"You will kick Sei and Ed out of their room. Chiri and I stay in mine." Ali crossed her arms and put on the mess-with-my-law-and-die-a-horrid-death face.**

_Sei nodded. "M'kay. But only while Xemnas and Seph stay together," she said. They rejoined Xemnas and Sephiroth, acting as though they hadn't been watching their every move for the past couple of hours.  
_

_"Aww, what's wrong with Seph?" Fenrir asked.  
_

_"He seems to have gotten the flu or something," Xemnas replied, holding Sephiroth in his arms.  
_

_"You two can sleep in my room which is technically Fenrir's room," Sei said. Xemnas nodded gratefully._

**Alderyn followed the others but before she stepped into the room with them Chichiri grabbed her hand and pulled her away. He quickly planted a slightly drawn out kiss on her lips. "Stop looking at the other guys." He said quickly and went into the room with the others. Alderyn stood there blinking. That was so not Chichiri... He was jealous?**

_Fenrir led Xemnas and Sephiroth to her room. She hung in the doorway, watching as Xemnas gently laid Sephiroth down on the bed and carefully wrapped the blankets around him.  
_

_"You know where to find us, mate," Fenrir said to him. He looked at her and nodded. She returned to find Sei and Jynx playing Soul Calibur three.  
_

_"If I win, you hafta be my girlfriend," Jynx said. "Best outta five."  
_

_"You're on!"_

**Alderyn had wandered into the room and shook her head at the two. "Sei, you're dead." She stated simply. She saw Chichiri sitting on the couch watching the tv screen. She walked over to him and sat down. She snuggled under his arm and took out a book. Chichiri smiled down at her and hugged his arm around her tightly.Then he returned to watching the tv.**

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hah! I win! You have three chances left!" Jynx crowed. So far the score was 6-0, Jynx's favour. Sei was starting to sweat now.  
_

_Meanwhile Xemnas was sitting near the bed, watching Sephiroth warily for a moment. Then he stood and crossed to Fenrir's bookshelves. He pulled down a book of HP Lovecraft stories and started to read._

**Alderyn quickly fell asleep, the book drifting to lie over her nose. Chichiri aslo nodded off, resting his head on Ali's.**

_Everyone was gradually falling asleep, except Jynx and Sei, of course. Abruptly Jynx let out a whoop that awoke everyone in the room.  
_

_"Hah! Ten outta ten!" she crowed. "Eat that, biatch!"  
_

_Xemnas looked up, thinking he heard a cry of horror. Attributing it to "The Dreams in the Witch-House", he shook his head and returned to the book._

**Alderyn glared at them. "Shut it. It was a give-in that you'd win. Now Sei be her g/f so we can go back to sleep."**

_Sei pouted for a bit, refusing to agree. Jynx shrugged. _

_"C'est la vie," she said. "No point in trying to go out with a straight girl."_

_Then she disappeared. For a moment everyone wondered where she went, then fell asleep again._

_In Fenrir's room, Xemnas had fallen asleep with his head on the bed, near Sephiroth's. The book slowly slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor with a soft flop. Sephiroth awoke. He stared sleepily at Xemnas, lightly brushing his fingers over his cheek again. He smiled slightly, then fell asleep._

_The next morning dawned clear and cold, sunlight shining on the loch and ice-coated eaves of the castle. A massive ice storm had moved through the area, coating every surface with a centimetre of ice. Jynx was the first awake. She stood atop a crenellation, perfectly balanced in the field of ice.  
_

_Xemnas awoke to sun streaming in on his face. He winced, then looked at Sephiroth. His lover looked a little better; there was some colour to his skin._

**Alderyn snuggled closer to Chichiri, closer to the warmth. She could feel the sun on her eyelids. Nooo, she refused to wake up.**

_Jynx closed her eye and concentrated. The ice surrounding her started behaving oddly. It shimmered and flashed, though the sun was on the other side of the castle, then rippled strangely. Although it hadn't melted, the ice oozed from the side of the castle and hovered in front of Jynx, a frozen blob. Her eye opened and, far from being red, the iris had turned pale silver._

**Alderyn cracked an eye open. What was Jynx doing? And why the hell did she bring ice into the room. It was cold enough in here already. She grumbled.**

_Abruptly the chill from the ice disappeared. Jynx was left with something that resembled a block of clay. Her eye closed again, and the ice began warping, losing its form. When her eye opened again and it had resumed its normal colour, the block of ice had become a deck of cards.  
_

_"Fabulous," she muttered with a grin._

**Alderyn sat up and stretched. She raised an eyebrow at Jynx. "Cards?"**

_Jynx grinned. "Hell yeah," she said. "Cards are my MO, my friend. Plus I kick ass with them."  
Meanwhile Sephiroth still slept. Xemnas picked up his book again, watching Sephiroth warily. He reached out and pressed a hand to his forehead, frowning slightly. His skin was still hot to the touch.  
Xemnas sighed. Perhaps that hadn't been the best way to warm a potential hypothermia victim._

**Alderyn moved to the edge of the couch. "So what do you play?" She asked, curious.**

_"Oh, just about anything," Jynx replied airily. "I specialize in Crazy Eights, Bullshit, and poker." She sent the cards flipping from one hand to the next like a stage magician. "Care for a game?"  
Xemnas lightly traced Sephiroth's cheekbones, hoping his lover would wake soon. His hopes were not in vain, for Sephiroth stirred and opened his eyes a few minutes later. He smiled at Xemnas, who reached out and hugged him close._

**"Sure, we can play whatever. I don't have any favorite."**

_Jynx grinned maliciously. "Crazy Eights, then," she said, expertly shuffling the cards. Lightning fast she dealt out eight cards to both of them and set the rest of the deck down, turning over the first card.  
_

_"Have you been there all night?" Sephiroth asked hoarsely. Xemnas nodded. Sephiroth didn't say anything. Then he started coughing, and Xemnas watched him anxiously. After a few seconds he stopped and flopped back against the bed with a moan._

**Alderyn picked them up. "Alright then. Oh and don't think I don't know what you will end up doing." She said while sorting through her cards**.

_"What will I end up doing?" Jynx said innocently.  
_

_Xemnas gently brushed a strand of hair from Sephiroth's face. "Want anything?" he asked. Sephiroth shook his head.  
_

_"How about an instant flu cure?" he joked. Xemnas laughed and hugged him again.  
_

_Meanwhile, Jynx twitched oddly. "I get the feeling something terribly cute is happening, but I don't know where," she said._

**Alderyn snorted. "Oh please cut the innocent act. You're a probablilty wench and there is no way you won't use that power while we're playing."**

_"Not during a card game, mon ami," Jynx replied, wagging a finger under Alderyn's nose. "That's not cool, yanno."  
_

_During this Fenrir woke and saw them. "Oh no," she groaned._

**"Whatever let's play." Alderyn said, not believing Jynx for a second. If she cheated, oh well. Cards was just a way to pass the time.**

_What Alderyn didn't know was that for Jynx cards were a way of life. The cat demon made a living off card tricks, card games... even using cards as weapons. Jynx could throw a card at high speed with unerring accuracy. She'd injured many an opponent. She had also had a stint as a tarot card reader for a month or so before she got run out of town for bad predictions.  
_

_Xemnas glanced towards the door. "I get the feeling something very sinister is going to happen soon," he said, frowning. Sephiroth started to get up.  
_

_"I wanna see," he said._

**Alderyn placed the first cards down. Beside her Chiri stirred and lazily opened his one eye. "What's going on?" He yawned and asked Fenrir.**

_"Alderyn's playing cards with Jynx," she groaned.  
_

_"Seph, you're still sick," Xemnas said, instantly supporting his lover. "You shouldn't be out of bed..."  
_

_Sephiroth grinned devilishly at him. "I'm made of stronger stuff than you think," he replied. "As you should know."  
_

_Xemnas blushed under his tan and laughed._

**"And that's bad, No Da?" Chichiri asked confused.**

_"She doesn't need probability to win," Fenrir sighed. "She'll gouge Alderyn for everything she has and then some."  
_

_"What'd we miss?"  
_

_Everyone turned to see Xemnas and Sephiroth in the door, the latter leaning on the former for support. Xemnas had his arm around Sephiroth's waist and Sephiroth had twined his fingers with Xemnas'._

**Alderyn placed an eight down and changed the suit. It was now hearts. She looked around. "We have drawn quite an audience." She commented.**

_Jynx nodded absently. "Your go," she said, totally focused on the game.  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth sat on the couch next to Fenrir, Sephiroth sitting in Xemnas' lap. He rested his head on his lover's shoulder, rubbing his nose. Xemnas petted his hair a few times.  
_

_Jynx, completely oblivious to everything else, played a six of Spades to change the suit, contemplating her next move. 'She'll either change the suit again or keep it the same...'_

**Alderyn put down a 2 of spades and waited for Jynx to play another card.**

_The card game grew in intensity, Jynx frowning deeply. Another odd sight. Soon Sei and Ed were awake and watching, sensing the palpable card player's aura gusting from Jynx in waves._

**Alderyn had 3 cards left. She placed down an Ace of diamonds and waited again. She looked at her cards thinking about how she could play them quickly and get the game over with.**

_Jynx played her favourite card, the Ace of Spades. Fenrir groaned again. Xemnas stared at her.  
_

_"It's do or die with her now," she explained. "She'll keep challenging Alderyn over and over again and there'll never be any clear winner."_

**Alderyn smirked. She played her spade card and waited for Jynx to play her next card.**

_Jynx played her King of Spades. To Fenrir, Jynx was sending a clear message: I never lose. Mess with me and pay the penalty. She groaned inwardly.  
_

_Sephiroth was falling asleep again, his fever taking its toll. He nuzzled his face against Xemnas' neck, causing the other to glance at him and kiss his forehead. Jynx didn't even spare them a glance._

**Alderyn played her last card. It was an eight of hearts. She held up her hands, no longer having any cards. "Good game Jynx." She said with a smile. She held out her hand in a friendly handshake.**

_Jynx's eye twitched, but she shook the other's hand nonetheless. Fenrir gave an audible sigh of relief. Then she sat bolt upright. She hastily stood and rushed over to Alderyn.  
_

_"Watch out. Jynx doesn't usually concede so easily," she whispered. "Watch your back. Or, better yet, distance yourself from her. She hates to lose."_

**Alderyn blinked. "It was a card game. You always chance to lose it." She said confused about why someone would take losing so badly.**

_"No, you don't understand," Fenrir replied. "Jynx's ego lives off her card games. Whenever she loses she sulks for hours on end, lurks in corners stealing everyone's left shoe and demanding ice cream, or, in a worst-case scenario, she hurls cards at whoever beat her until she kills them."_

**"..." Alderyn took in this information slowly. "So basically I'm on her hit list now?" She asked.**

_"Maybe, maybe not. Hopefully she'll be content with ice cream and our left shoes," Fenrir replied thoughtfully. Then she looked around. "Uh-oh... she's gone."  
_

_"She went outside," Xemnas said, pointing to the open window. Fenrir sighed and shook her head. She walked over and shut the window, not bothering to lock it.  
_

_"I highly suggest a short vacation," she said. "Stonehenge, perhaps?"_

**"Ummm.. I was planning on going to visit Alera in Wexford soon. Maybe I should go now?" She asked nervously. Hit list weren't fun, she should know. **

_Fenrir nodded. "We'll come with. I don't want to be here with an angry Jynx," she said. She looked at Xemnas and Sephiroth. "They'll be safe, though. She likes guyxguy too much to do anything to them."_

**Alderyn nodded. "Umm be forewarned Alera's not the most sane person in the world." She told them. That was the easy way of putting it. **

"_Neither are we."_

**"Good point." Alderyn nodded. "Well, I'll go pack." She got up and left the room, Chichiri following right behind.**

_Xemnas looked up once everyone had gone. He hadn't been paying much attention to them, being more concerned about Sephiroth. He shrugged and stretched out on the couch, allowing Sephiroth to lay atop him, still asleep. Sephiroth stirred and moved somewhat, shifting to a more comfortable posistion. Xemnas smiled at him._

-End part thingummy-

Jynx: …I lost…

Fenrir: Get over it.

Jynx: …I LOST…

Fenrir: Uh-oh.

Jynx: _I LOST! SOMEBODY'S HEAD'S GONNA ROLL!_

Fenrir: Alderyn, run for your life. Like, NOW.


	14. Chapter 12

Jynx: Whee, the opening hasn't been long in a while.

-Part something-

_"Sail away… Ripples never come back… Gone to the other side… Sail away, away…" Xemnas sang softly, one hand resting on Sephiroth's back. "The face that launched a thousand ships… is sinking fast, that happens, you know… Seems not very long ago… Lovelier she was than any that I know…" He looked at Sephiroth, stroking his hair idly. _

_"Why are you singing Genesis?" came Jynx's voice. She slowly walked out of the wall, shuffling her deck overhand. Xemnas looked at her. He shrugged._

"_I like that song," he said. Jynx flopped down in the armchair._

"_Not a bad song. A little long, though," she said. "Eight minutes and six seconds. Where is everybody?"_

_Xemnas shrugged. "They left to go visit some friend of Alderyn's," he replied. Jynx nodded and stared out the window. _

"_Big ice storm last night," she remarked. "Covered everything."_

**The landing had been less than...well done... Fenrir had landed in the frighid Irish water, Alderyn had landed on the top part of a tree, Ed and Sei had landed head first on the ground. Chiri glided easily to the ground and sweatdropped. "Sorry, No Da..." He said laughing. **

**Alderyn glared at him. "Learn to land, Chiri..." She grumbled and fell to the ground.**

_Xemnas nodded. Jynx looked at Sephiroth._

"_How is he?" she asked. _

"_Doing better," Xemnas replied, gazing fondly at him. Then he looked at Jynx. "Um…" Jynx laughed hollowly._

_"Wondering why I'm not on a rampage?" she asked. Xemnas nodded. "Fenrir likes to exaggerate."_

**Alderyn looked around. "Well we're definatly in Wexford, but not Kilmore Quay. Shoulda been clearer, eh?" She asked Chiri. He nodded. "Well then lets go, Alera's house should be oh three miles that way." She pointed down a long lane.**

_Jynx sighed and walked over to the window. For a while no one spoke. Then Sephiroth stirred and awoke._

"_Hello, love," he said, kissing Xemnas. "Where is everyone?"_

"_Ireland," Jynx answered idly. She stood with her hands in her pockets and her tail swishing slowly back and forth, giving her an oddly sane appearance. She sighed and stared at the ceiling. "I wonder if there's anything weird about this castle…" With that she floated up and through the ceiling._

_Xemnas and Sephiroth stared at each other. Xemnas shook his head._

"_She's something else," he said. He started to say something more, but Sephiroth gently took hold of his face and kissed him deeply._

**Alderyn led them to a small thatched room white washed house. It had a strangled garden of wild flowers and menacing looking weeds. Above the door a gargoyle grinned a gap toothed grin. Its head moved up as the group approached. It cackled. **

**Alderyn sighed. "Marion cut the scary act." The gargoyle pouted. **

**"Come now Ali, can't I have a little fun?" It asked in a high pitched chickmunk voice. Alderyn looked at her. **

**"No. You're fun involves dumping eggs on us as we enter and then dropping flower as we stand there covered in egg goo." The gargoyle laughed. **

**"You know me too well." The door swung opened. "Alera's expecting you."**

_Jynx reappeared in a previously unknown room. The room was full of cloth-covered furniture and smelt faintly of mothballs. She cocked her head, suddenly feeling like she wasn't alone. A chill crept between her wings, and she turned.  
_

_A sudden shout rapidly brought Sephiroth and Xemnas apart. The two's heads jerked up at the ceiling. Jynx seemed to fall from the ceiling and landed on the table, breaking it in half. She groaned and stood, rubbing her wings._

**The group walked into the room and the first hting they were greeted with was a gilded cathedral ceiling. All around was granite walls but instead of Holy pictures there were cartoon comics ingraved into the walls.**

_"What the hell, Jynx?" Sephiroth asked, sitting up._

_"There's something up there!" Jynx replied, wide-eyed, pointing to the ceiling.  
_

_"Uh, ceiling?" Jynx shook her head so vigorously her ears flapped around.  
_

_"No, some weird room!" she said. "It's full of old furniture and shit, and... a... a... THING!"_

**The group passed from the cartoon cathedral into what seemed to be a hobbit house...complete with the hobbit sized ceiling. All of them had to duck and walk practically on their knees to get through. Well all except Ed, who fit perfectly. **

**"Hey Ed, its the perfect house for you." Alderyn said happily. Ed glared at her. **

**"I'm not a midget that you need a microscope just to see!" HE screamed and jumped at her. Sei held him back. Alderyn just chuckled.**

_"A thing?" Xemnas asked skeptically._

_"Yes, a thing!" Jynx snapped. "What are ya, a parrot? It was huge and amorphous and tentacled and... wait, that's a shoggoth. It was amorphous, tho'." She seemed to be back to her hyperactive self. "I think it was looking at me." She shuddered.  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth looked at her.  
_

_"Wanna go investigate?" Xemnas asked, shifting his gaze to Sephiroth. "Are you up to it?"  
_

_"I'm not made of glass," Sephiroth said, making Xemnas blush._

**A flurry of activity drew the groups eye. In the other room a flash sped by the doorway. It muttered to itself. Alderyn walked forward. **

**"Alera..." She called. The blur stopped. It became the form of a frizz haired red head with large circular glasses. She was short and she wore a kimono print druid robe and flame converses. She blinked up at Ali. And then tackled her. **

**"ALI ALI ALI! YOU"RE BACK!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.**

_Fenrir's eyebrows rose as she stared at her. "Okay..." she said._

_Back at the castle, Jynx, Xemnas, and Sephiroth (still leaning on Xemnas) were trying to figure out how to get to the room Jynx had seen. The three had wandered all over the place, and as a result were a bit lost._

_Jynx swore and twisted her hand oddly in the air. Greenish light enveloped the trio, and she jumped up. "Let's check out that door," she said, pointing._

**Alera stopped her babbling and looked up at the others. She blinked twice then high tailed in around the corner. "DAMN IT ALI YOU SHOULDN"T HAVE BROUGHT PEOPLE!" She screamed. Alderyn sweatdropped. **

**"They're friends Alera. Deal with it." Alera grumbled at her and twitched. **

**"People are evil." She muttered and walked away into the next room.**

_"It's locked," Sephiroth said, pointing to the large padlock on the door. Jynx shrugged and touched it. Frost blossomed over the lock, freezing it solid in a matter of seconds. She hit it with her fist and it shattered._

_"Not anymore," she said, grinning smugly._

_Behind the door there was a tall set of stairs. Dust coated the stone steps, cobwebs festooning every wall. The three hesitated._

**Alderyn motioned everyone else forward. "Come on, pay no attention to her. She needs to get over her I-Hate-People thing anyway." Alderyn led them into the next room. It was actually somewhat normal if you discounted the half finished robot in the corner, the half toppling bookshelve against the wall, and the huge pin-up of Heath Ledger from A Knight's Tale.**

_"You first," Jynx said, backing up slightly. Xemnas and Sephiroth eyed her darkly. She grimaced and generated a small globule of fire. She froze it, allowing it to glow. This she held high as she led the way up the stairs.  
_

_Their feet made no sound in the centimetre-thick dust as they climbed higher. Sephiroth, still sick, started to lose his breath quicker than the other two. Xemnas gave him a concerned look and picked him up. Sephiroth blushed._

**Alera was muttering to herself and working on a piece of the robot. "Make yourselves at home. There's haggis in the fridge and fresh mead in the keg." She told them without turning around.**

_The stairway got narrower and narrower, and Xemnas had to put Sephiroth down. The three continued up the stairs, which were fast growing lighter. They stopped under a trapdoor. Jynx looked at them and shrugged. She knocked on it, then pushed it open. A warm golden light flooded the stairway. Xemnas and Sephiroth heard Jynx gasp._

_"Oh my giddy aunt," she breathed. "Come up here and look at this!"  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth stood next to her. Their jaws dropped._

**The group sweatdropped. Ed made a face. "Yuck... haggis." He remember the last time Alderyn tried to force feed it to him and shuddered. A gear smacked him in the head. **

**"No messing with the haggis." Alera told him angrily.**

_Filling the room from floor to ceiling were mounds upon mounds of treasure. Rare jewels, gem-encrusted swords, countless items of jewelry, heaps of coins, a gold skull with rubies for eyes and pearls for teeth, and, in one corner (Jynx gave a squeal of delight) stacks of rare books. The three scrambled through the trapdoor and stood in the center of the room, completely in awe of the store.  
_

_"I've seen some dragon's hoards in my time, but this puts 'em all to shame," Jynx said in amazement._

_She eagerly ran over to the books, carefully lifting them up and examining them. Sephiroth looked around._

"_I had no idea this place was here," he said, still awestruck._

"_Neither did Fenrir and the others, from the looks of it," Xemnas said, examining the skull. He blew a layer of dust off it. _

"_Oh my… check this out," Jynx called. There was an uncharacteristically serious edge to her voice. She walked over to them, holding up a leather-bound, musty-smelling book. "Do you guys know what this is?"_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth glanced at each other and shook their heads._

"_This is the Necronomicon, as penned by the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred. This is Wormius' Latin edition, the most complete copy to date," she replied grimly. "This'd fetch a hefty price… in more ways than one. There're many cults, dedicated to the Elder Gods Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, The Goat with A Thousand Young, Cthulhu… They're all the Elder Gods who lived on this earth millennia before humans came. _

"_They ruled for some time, until something happened. Their civilization was destroyed by something, no one knows what, and they retreated under the seas, waiting for the chance to subjugate this planet and make it their own once again. Some of the cults on this earth are looking for ways to hasten this time. They would pay out the nose to have this. Abdul Alhazred was a demonologist. This book contains instructions on how to summon them and their dark servants, various rituals to them…_

"_This book has been translated into English and Latin, and the Latin is the most complete. Each translator found content in the pages he deemed appropriate to leave out, possibly because they were too horrible for human minds to comprehend."_

_She looked up at them. "This room isn't as much of a blessing as we thought," she concluded, face paler than normal. "We have to seal this room away."_

"_What about the other room? Where you saw the thing?" Xemnas asked. _

"_It wasn't this one. That room was right above the TV room. This one isn't," Jynx replied. "At least, I don't think it is…" She melted through the floor, then reappeared. "Yeah, this one is right over Fenrir's room. Besides, the room I found was way smaller, way darker, and had a ton of furniture in it."_

_The three headed back down the stairs, closing the door behind them._

"_Wait," Jynx said. She focused on the handle and frost flickered across it for a moment. The frost faded. "There. Now it'll remain closed until someone figures out how to break my spell." She clapped her hands together. "Right, let's find that place, ne?"_

_They explored the castle again, looking for anything that might pose as an entrance to a door. After a while, they grew frustrated and flopped down on the floor._

"_This is taking too long," Sephiroth groaned, leaning on Xemnas. Xemnas wrapped an arm around him and hugged him tight._

"_Yeah, I know," Jynx replied, leaning on the wall. "But I don't know what that thing was, so we ought to—whoa!" Abruptly the wall gave way, and Jynx toppled through a hole in the wall. "Ouch."_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth hastily stood and stared at her. She was lying on her side in a dusty hallway, blowing spiderwebs off her nose._

"_Nice one," Sephiroth said. "Who knew klutziness would be useful?" Jynx stood and stuck her tongue out at him, and led the way down the hallway. Once again they found themselves wading through thick dust, Sephiroth sneezing up a storm._

_They found themselves in an empty room, this one full of cloth-covered furniture. There was a large hole in the roof._

"_This is it!" Jynx cried. "Okay, the thing was around here somewhere…" Only a moment later something dropped onto Sephiroth's head with a maniacal laugh._

"_Kyaaa! Get it off!" Sephiroth screamed, as Jynx fell over laughing._

"_Nice scream, Seph," she laughed. They stared at the thing clinging resolutely to Sephiroth's head. It had six limbs, four of which were arms, spines, huge ears, and blue fur. "It's so cute!" With that, Jynx reached out and tugged the thing from Sephiroth's head. She hugged it tight. It giggled insanely and played with her ears._

"_What the hell is it?" Sephiroth said, colour tingeing his cheeks. _

"_My name Stitch," the furry thing said. Sephiroth started._

"_Aw! So cute!" Jynx cried._

"_Is that your huge, tentacled, amorphous thing?" Xemnas asked. _

"_First of all, that's a shoggoth, not what I saw. I said it was amorphous," Jynx replied. "I think I just saw this guy's shadow. I wanna keep him!"_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth looked at each other, then at Jynx and Stitch._

_-O-_

_Alderyn and the others returned that evening, Fenrir sulking in the back._

"_Smooth move, Fen," Sei said with a snicker._

"_Shut up," Fenrir growled. "Stupid robot." The two abruptly bumped into the others' backs. "What the hell?"_

"_What is that?" Ed cried._

"_Stitch!" Jynx answered, playing Canasta with the furry creature._

**Alderyn's eyes widened. "So... CUTE!" She cried and gathered the furry little alien into a big hug.**

_Stitch yelped and dropped his cards. "Leggo!" he cried, squirming wildly._

_Jynx hastily rescued her card partner. "Myah, no touchie!" she snapped. Stitch stuck his tongue out at Alderyn._

-End teh chapter-thing-

Jynx: Stitch, whee! X3

Alderyn: I wanna hug him!

Jynx: No! (Hiss)

Fenrir: Alderyn's a lazy bum... Jynx finished off the chapter without her.


	15. Special Insert: Mad Man Moon

Jynx: Yay for the very first special insert! There were originally gonna be more of these, but I got lazy and never wrote them. They're like Intermissions, but without the dumbass muses and there're only two characters. Fufufufu… Xemnas x Sephy moments… X3 The title is a Genesis song, this one from the "Trick of the Tail" album. Yes, I am obsessed with Genesis. Next question.

-Special Insert: Mad Man Moon-

"Hmm… full-moon tonight…" Jynx muttered, staring at the sky. The air was chilly, somewhere in the lower fifties. A stiff breeze blew off the loch, making it chillier than it already was. Jynx was loving it. She glanced at the sky again. The sun was starting to set, slowly tinging the sky fantastic colours. Her eye narrowed. "I wonder…"

Suddenly she grinned.

"Oh my giddy aunt," she said with a smirk. "I'm so brilliant." She opened her wings and swooped off the tower and glided into the TV room, folding her wings as she went. She saw Fenrir sitting on the couch.

"Hey Fenny, where's Xemnas and Seph?" Jynx asked, rustling her wings faintly. Fenrir glared at her.

"In my room, which is now their room," she replied. "Don't call me Fenny."

Jynx grinned and sprinted through the halls to Fenrir's former bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, leading Jynx to think they weren't doing anything. She walked through it anyway and found Xemnas sitting by himself at the window. She cocked her head.

"Hey, Xemnas, where's Sephiroth?" she asked. He glanced at her.

"'Lo, Jynx. He's off somewhere," Xemnas answered dispiritedly. "I think he's still at Stonehenge with the rest of them."

"Weren't they supposed to come back today?"

"Yeah, but Alderyn prob'ly found something interesting to study. Fenrir said she got a message from Alderyn saying they'd be in England for another few days." Xemnas sighed and resumed his vigil at the window. Jynx frowned for a moment, then brightened.

"If you promise to be up at the highest tower, on the roof, by an hour after dark, I'll bring him back early," she said. Xemnas whipped around to face her.

"How are you going to do that?" he asked, eyes full of hope.

For an answer Jynx spread her wings to their fullest, the tips of her pinions brushing the walls, even though she stood in the middle of the room. "I specialize in long-distance flights," she said. "And I can really book it when I want to."

Xemnas nodded. "I'll be there," he promised.

Jynx grinned. "Yay. Oh, it'll be in the lower forties and completely clear. Bring a blanket," she said. With that she disappeared through the floor. Xemnas blinked.

"What is she, a walking weather station?" he said to the empty room.

-O-

Jynx winged her way over the Scotland/Britain border, headed for Stonehenge, where she knew the others to be. True to her word, she was flying fast. Her wings, far more powerful than Fenrir's or Alderyn's, pounded the air, carrying her farther per wingstroke. She flew as fast as she could without killing herself, hoping to reach Stonehenge in time.

Jynx made the flight in about half an hour.

When she winged over Stonehenge, she observed a fire built near the fence. She nodded and went into a dive. She backwinged and landed, fanning the flames. She spotted Sephiroth on a hill, staring at the sky in the general direction of Loch Ness.

"Hey Sephiroth!" she called as she ran over to him. He turned, jumping slightly.

"Oh, hi Jynx," he said. From the slight morose edge to his voice, Jynx could tell he missed Xemnas.

"Wanna cut this little outing short?" Jynx asked. "I know you want to see Xemnas. I can get you back to Urquhart in about half an hour." Sephiroth's face lit.

"Can you really do that?" he asked excitedly.

"I got here in about that time," Jynx replied with a shrug. "I can make it back in that time." Sephiroth eagerly nodded, so Jynx walked over and grabbed him tight around the waist. "Hang on."

With a few powerful strokes of her wings, Jynx took to the air.

-O-

Xemnas sat atop the highest tower, staring at the round moon on the horizon. The glowing yellow orb had only just begun to show its face, appearing over the mountains. Jynx was right; the temperature was around forty-three, leading Xemnas to huddle down in the blanket.

He blinked. An oddly shaped something was in front of the moon. He frowned, trying to see what it was. He soon realized it was Jynx; her white hair, wings, and tail glowed in the moonlight. She was carrying something that seemed to be weighing her down.

Within a few minutes she was hovering over the tower. She set Sephiroth down and landed.

"Here's your delivery, mate!" Jynx said cheerfully. Sephiroth ran over to his lover and embraced him. Jynx looked out at the rising moon.

"It's rising fast," she said. "View's great from up here. But I think I'll head in and see if I can win something off Fenrir in a poker game." With that she jumped over the side of the tower and flew away.

Sephiroth looked up at Xemnas. The two smiled. Xemnas sat against the parapet, Sephiroth cuddling close to his side. Xemnas wrapped the blanket around him and hugged him.

The two sat together watching the moon, neither speaking. It rose high above their heads, shining down on them and lighting the castle with a yellow glow. Xemnas was staring up at it, but Sephiroth was staring at something, or some_one_, else.

"Xemnas," he said finally. Xemnas looked down at him.

"What?" he asked. Sephiroth leaned forward and kissed him abruptly. Xemnas was caught slightly off-guard, but recovered quickly enough, eagerly responding to the kiss. After a long moment the two parted.

"I missed you," Sephiroth said.

"I missed you too," Xemnas replied, kissing him again. Sephiroth slipped his fingers around Xemnas' neck, pulling him closer. They drew apart slowly, panting ever so slightly. Sephiroth shivered and pressed himself to Xemnas, wishing it was a tad warmer out. Xemnas wrapped his arms around him.

"I wish it would warm up already," Sephiroth muttered, half-listening to the even sound of Xemnas' breathing.

"And you know I'd always hold you… and keep you warm…" Xemnas sang softly in reply. Sephiroth chuckled.

"Genesis, right?" he said, well aware of his lover's fondness for the British band and their epic songs, at least one of which was about talking lawnmowers. Xemnas nodded. Sephiroth kissed him again, and this time something seemed to change. A slight hint of urgency came into their movements, Xemnas unconsciously pushing Sephiroth backwards. Not that the other minded particularly.

Xemnas finally pulled away, moving to the side to lie beside Sephiroth. Sephiroth rolled onto his side and faced him. Once more they kissed, Xemnas wrapping his arms around Sephiroth and pulling him close. Sephiroth was reminded of the time, not that long ago, when he'd fallen into the loch and awoken next to Xemnas under a pile of blankets.

"Remember our time together, after I fell into the loch?" Sephiroth asked after they parted. Xemnas smiled.

"How could I forget?" he replied.

"Did we ever figure out where that stuff came from?"

Xemnas laughed. "No, I don't think we ever did. It was probably Jynx or Alderyn. I'd bet anything they were watching us somehow," he said, grinning.

"Considering the whole reason she even came here, I'd say that was pretty much a given," Sephiroth said with a laugh. Xemnas kissed him again, and this time no one pulled away to talk. Neither was much inclined to just talk when they'd been missing each other so much.

XXX

Sephiroth yawned widely as he rested his head on Xemnas' chest, stretching beside him. He winced slightly. Xemnas looked at him, idly stroking his hair.

"Still cold, love?" he asked. Sephiroth gave him a sleepy smile.

"Not at all," he replied with a sigh, snuggling up to Xemnas' side.

"If we stay up here, we'll end up with frostbite," Xemnas said, staring up at the moon through half-lidded eyes. Sephiroth didn't reply. Looking at him, Xemnas saw he was already asleep. He smiled. "But of course you don't care," he murmured before joining Sephiroth in sleep.

-O-

A few minutes later, Jynx landed on the parapet. She held a couple of blankets. She looked down at the two and smiled. She draped the blankets over them and, after taking a few pictures, winged off into the night, silent as an owl.

-End Mad Man Moon-

Jynx: X3 Yay for fluff! And the XXX does indeed mean what you think it means. Hehehe…

Fenrir: She's totally taken over the Author's notes…

Jynx: Stop whining, you big baby.


	16. Chapter 13

**Alderyn was late. She was very, very late. And she couldn't find her shoes. She screamed in frustration as another closet provided her with everyone else's shoes but hers.**

_"Hehehe... you got the right shoe, yeah?"  
_

_"Uh-huh!"  
_

_"Good, I got the left. Oh, crap! Hang on!"  
_

_Jynx and Stitch oozed through the wall, startling Xemnas and Sephiroth, who had been heartily making out on the couch.  
_

_"Shame shame!" Stitch screeched. "I know name!"  
_

_"Slip him the tongue, Xem!" Jynx jeered._

**Alderyn flew around. "Where are my damn shoes?" She growled. She was dressed in a dress and had her hair up. She had a job interview today. She couldn't go waltzing into the place without shoes. Dammit!**

_"Jynx... Stitch... why do you have those shoes?" Sephiroth asked, well aware he was blushing furiously. Even though everyone knew he and Xemnas were lovers, he still got embarrassed when someone caught them.  
_

_Jynx hastily hid the left shoes (which, of course, belonged to Alderyn) behind her back. Stitch tried to do the same, but found he was too short.  
_

_"Give us ice cream!" he cried.  
_

_"Or we'll steal everyone's left shoe!" Jynx yelled. With that they raced from the room, giggling madly._

**Alderyn came flying in from the other direction. She wasn't paying attention and her wing caught the end of the end of the doorframe. She went tumbling into the wall. "DAMMIT! WHERE ARE MY FUCKING SHOES!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.**

_Jynx and Stitch walked in then, laughing wildly as they scarfed down ungodly amounts of chocolate-sauced strawberry ice cream.  
_

_"Extort a confession? Deny her ice cream?" Jynx said, quoting her favourite movie, 'MirrorMask'. "I THINK NOT!" Stitch giggled madly.  
_

_"Ice cream!" he shouted.  
_

_"Damn, you guys are loud," Fenrir said, inserting a finger into her long ears as she entered the room.  
_

_"Deal with it!" Jynx and Stitch yelled. They promptly tripped over Alderyn._

**Alderyn glared up at them. "You two wouldn't know where my shoes went would you?" She asked standing over the two menacingly.**

"_What, just because we like mischief and Fenny over there said I stole people's left shoes you automatically think we're behind it?" Jynx said indignantly. She crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. "Won't get nuffin' outta me!"_

"_Nuffin'!" Stitch repeated, mimicking her._

"_It's scary how similar they're getting to be," Fenrir remarked. She glanced at Sephiroth and Xemnas, who had picked up where they'd left off. She chucked a book at them. "Little early, doncha think?"_

**"You listen to me," Flames shot from behind her. "Give me back my shoes." She smiled widely, that homicidal maniac, phsycopathic smile. "Or you die." She said still grinning broadly.**

_Jynx and Stitch stared placidly at her. "We don't have 'em," Jynx said, shrugging. "I think Sei took 'em. Maybe she's chewing on 'em. She is a dog demon, yanno."  
_

_"Hey... you guys are missing a good show over here!" Fenrir called, conjuring popcorn as she watched Xemnas and Sephiroth, who were completely ignoring everything around them._

**Alderyn stood there and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and she screamed. She put all her frustration, anger, and a whole shitload of other emotions into it. Even Nessie noticed the scream which had made the water become a chaotic mass of waves.**

_Jynx and Stitch both flattened their ears against their heads, but otherwise gave no sign they were affected. Fenrir clapped her hands against her head, rats in the walls died or went deaf, and in orphanages in Italy, children began crying for no reason, despite the best efforts of the priest on duty.  
_

_"There, there, mah bairns! Ach, please stop cryin'!" he shouted, running back and forth between orphans._

**Alderyn's scream slowly died away. She hung her head for a moment. Then walked out. Before she was out the door though she turned and glared at them. "If I ever find those shoes..." She growled and left.**

_"Damn, they're... I dunno what, but they're something else!" Fenrir said, a tad louder than necessary. (Her hearing was temporarily fouled up.) Xemnas and Sephiroth were still making out on the couch, neither seeming to have been affected by the scream.  
_

_Jynx and Stitch looked at each other and shrugged.  
_

_"Think we should return the shoes?" Jynx asked. Stitch nodded. The two ran off to wherever they'd hidden the shoes._

**Alderyn's was half under and half out from under Fenrir's bed. She was searching frantically for her shoes. She cringed at the mess she found under the bed. It was horrible.**

_Fenrir twitched suddenly. "Alderyn... there's a dimension-ripping beast under my bed. I wouldn't advise looking under there if you fancy living in the third dimension," she called. Upon receiving no response, she went into her room, leaving Xemnas and Sephiroth alone on the couch.  
_

_"Finally," Xemnas growled as they parted for air. He gave Sephiroth a mischievous grin, one the other readily returned. "What do you say to using this moment of aloneness to our advantage?"  
_

_Sephiroth grinned wider and kissed Xemnas again._

**Alderyn hadn't heard her and she kept desperatly searching for her damn shoes.**

_"Alderyn?" Fenrir glanced around, hoping the dimension-ripping beast hadn't gotten free and eaten her, or something.__  
_

_Jynx and Stitch appeared on Fenrir's bed, staring at Alderyn's feet sticking out from under the bed. The terrible two looked at each other and hastily stuck her shoes on her feet, in the wrong order, of course. Hastily they went through the ceiling before Alderyn noticed her left shoe was on her right foot and vice versa. _

**Alderyn felt her feet being covered. She quickly scuttled out from under the bed. Her eyes widened and tears came to them. "MY SHOES!" She cried happily. Of course not only did she not realize that they were switched but also she was oblivious to the fact that her hand had caught something which had caught something else which had dragged the very thing that Fenrir had been trying to warn her about.**

_"Um... Alderyn..." Fenrir stammered. "There's a thingy stuck to your hand."  
_

_The 'Thingy', as Fenrir so interestingly put it, was large, amorphous, and vaguely resembled a shoggoth. Fenrir hastily tried to shoo the thing back under her bed, but it roared at her and she desisted.  
_

_Meanwhile Xemnas and Sephiroth continued happily exploring each other, not knowing something might soon interrupt their increasingly intimate love-fest._

**Alderyn froze, her body motionless. She slowly reached her hand up to the thing on her head. Her face paled and her mind went blank. Then she screamed and grabbed her katana from hammerspace and began trying to stab the THING to death.**

_"Alderyn, stop! That thing was hard to find!" Fenrir cried, trying to rescue the thing. Jynx and Stitch cautiously stuck their heads out of the ceiling _Since when can Stitch pass through solid objects? _and watched the chaos below.  
_

_A shout finally broke through Xemnas and Sephiroth's lust-created haze and drew them reluctantly apart.  
_

_"What the hell was that?" Sephiroth growled, annoyed that they'd been interrupted. How dare something/one interrupt them! Get over it, Seph. No one's listening._

**Aldeyn ignored Fenrir and kept swing her sword at the thing. It hissed at her.**

_"Ah! Alderyn, stop! Don't provoke it!" Fenrir cried. She lunged for the thing again.  
_

_"Oh, forget it!" Xemnas growled, trying to catch Sephiroth's attention by doing things to the other's earlobe with his tongue that no living person ever should be capable of. Sephiroth moaned and promptly forgot all about whatever Fenrir was getting herself into.  
_

_"Ooh, do that again!"_

**Alderyn tripped over an exposed lamp cord and cursed. "Go gcreime cúnna ifrinn do bhall feargaGo bpléasca scata Fomhórach ólta do dhiosca crua. Go salaí na gráinneoga cealgrúnacha do chuid calóga arbhair!" She screamed and tore after the beast again. (May the hounds of hell gnaw at your dick. May a sympathetic lawyer blow up your investment portfolio. May hedgehogs shit in your cornflakes.)**

_Fenrir blinked at her and tried to rescue the thing again. Jynx and Stitch looked at each other. Then Jynx's ears twitched.  
_

_"I sense yaoi!" she said, and with that she sped off. _Whee! Innuendo ahead! I heard it somewhere, but I don't remember where. Whose Line, probably.)

_"Oh! Faster, you fool!"  
_

_"Sephiroth! I can't go any faster!"  
_

_Jynx raised an eyebrow and whistled appreciatively._

**Alderyn slammed the side of her katana down on the thing's head. It fell over and twitched. She grabbed a candlestick and poked it repeatedly.**

_"Ah! Not my dimension-ripping beast!" Fenrir wailed. "Alderyn, you loser! I was gonna use him to take me to an alternate version of Kingdom Hearts where Xemnas and Sephiroth actually are a couple and Sora constantly walks in on them screwing!"  
_

_"They do that now," Stitch said casually. Fenrir's ears shot straight up.  
_

_"Really?" With that she sped from the room. She halted and stood next to Jynx.  
_

_"Damn," she said in amazement._

**Alderyn poked it once more then looked down at her feet remembering that her shoes had reappeared. She quickly switched them and sped away to her job interview which she was now very late, very very late for.**

_"I didn't know Xemnas could bend like that," Jynx said.  
_

_"Ditto," Fenrir replied. "I didn't know Sephiroth could do that with his tongue."  
_

_The two watched the two bishies screwing on the couch for a while, then Jynx ran off to find Stitch, an idea forming in her evil, demented mind._

**Alderyn trudged back to the castle. Her wings drooped as did her head. The interview had been hell. She had gotten there 45 minutes late. She couldn't make a traffic excuse, she could hear the traffic report playing on the radio. The interviewer, a man in his late fifties with gray hair and deep frown lines glared at her. She made up a roommate excuse which he simply grunted at. She could barely understand his question, each grumbled and grunted at her. This in turn made her mistake the questions and the answers. She tiredly made her way to the living room.**

_Xemnas and Sephiroth were, of course, asleep on the couch, exhausted from their earlier 'fun'. Fenrir was sitting in the armchair reading an HP Lovecraft book, and Jynx and Stitch were nowhere to be found. Fenrir glanced up at Alderyn.  
_

_"Someone's been through hell and back," she stated._

**Alderyn glared. "No shit, Sherlock." She snapped and then went to the couch and sat ontop off Sephiroth's back. She grabbed the remote and turned the tv to Bonanza.**

_Fenrir shrugged and returned to the library at Miskatonic University, as the librarian stared at Wilbur Whateley as he melted away.  
_

_Meanwhile, Stitch wandered in and sat on the floor in front of the couch. He stared up at Alderyn through his big eyes, wagging his stub of a tail.  
_

_"Alderyn unhappy," he said._

**She glared at him. "What gave you that idea." she replied sarcastically. And went back to watching Little Joe punch some rogue in the face.**

_Stitch cocked his head, then stood and wandered off. Sephiroth awoke and stared at Alderyn, who was still sitting on his back.  
_

_"Get off," he growled._

**"No." she stated simply and flipped the remote irritatedly in her hands.**

_"Somehow I doubt Xemnas wants two people on top of him," Sephiroth growled. "Now get OFF."  
_

_Fenrir watched them over the top of her book. 'This'll be good,' she thought with a grin._

**She put extra weight (her wings) on top of Sephiroth. "No." She said again.**

_Below Sephiroth, Xemnas shifted uncomfortably. Now Sephiroth was pissed.  
_

_"Get the fuck off, NOW," he said, voice dangerously low. Any sane person would have obeyed and left the room as well. But whoever said Alderyn was sane?_

**Alderyn just flipped the channel to CSI. How Ironic that the episodes name was "Grave Danger," ne?**

_Any sane person would have realized that Xemnas being uncomfortable led to Sephiroth being pissed. After everything he'd been through to get him, Sephiroth was not going to see Xemnas upset about ANYTHING so long as he was around to try and make it right. And if that involved shoving an irate bird demon onto the floor, then so be it._

**Alderyn glared at him and pulled out her katana and soundly smacked each bishie on the head with the flat of the blade. She stood up, shook her wings, glared at all who were in the room and left muttering about getting a damn milkshake and some peace and qiuet.**

_Sephiroth sat up, rubbing his head, keeping himself covered with the blanket. (Fenrir hid behind her book). Xemnas sat up as well, wondering what hit him.  
_

_"What the hell?" he said. Sephiroth hugged him.  
_

_"Just Alderyn," he replied, resting his head on the other's shoulder. Xemnas slowly ran his fingers through his lover's hair as he gently put his head on Sephiroth's._

**Alderyn stormed into the kitchen and hastily got out huge tubs of chocolate and caramel ice cream. She globbed the contents of the packages into one huge blender which took only a little matter blending to make. She glared at it as it made her milkshake.**

_"By jove, I've done it!"  
_

_Everyone in the living room started at Jynx's triumphant cry. She came bolting into the room, Stitch scampering along behind her. She skidded to a halt, a huge grin plastered onto her face.  
_

_"I've found where the sidewalk ends!" she announced proudly._

**Alderyn walked sulkily back into the room, a huge glass of milkshake in her hand. She glared at them. "And that means what?" She asked going over to sit on the loveseat.**

_Jynx sighed exasperatedly.  
_

_"There is a place where the sidewalk ends/ Just before where the street begins/ And there the grass is soft and white/ And there the sun shines crimson bright/ And there the moon-bird rests from his flight/ To cool in the peppermint wind," she recited, a strange gleam coming into her eye as she spoke. "It's been my dream to go there. I've been searching for the entrance for years, and I finally found it!"_

**Alderyn just kept on drinking her milkshake. "Cool."**

_"'Cool'?" Jynx's eye widened in shock. "Do you realize what this means? Sidewalk's End is one of the greatest places in the world! It's just like Shel Silverstein described it!"  
_

_Her eye took on a faraway look, as though she saw something other than the wall. "I found it once. I was very young. I stumbled across it, but failed to enter. I was too afraid. And I lost it. I do remember it, though... The biggest thing I remember was the peppermint wind." She fell silent for a moment._

"_Every day I wished I'd gone to Sidewalk's End. There was nothing for me in this world, so why stay? But I've finally found the entrance!" Her face lit. "Don't you see? This could be the single greatest thing that could ever happen to us!"_

**Alderyn looked her lazily. "I've never read Shel Silverstein, but I'll take a look anyway."**

_Jynx blanched. "Ugh! You people are worthless!" With that she stomped off to her room. Stitch gave them a look and scampered after her.  
_

_"I think you offended her," Fenrir said after a short silence. Xemnas and Sephiroth stared at Alderyn. Sephiroth cried out after a book fell onto his head.  
_

_"'Where the Sidewalk Ends' by Shel Silverstein?" he read aloud, rubbing his head._

**Alderyn got all big eyed. "Read it read it Sephy-kun." She jumped up and down. The day had officially screwed with her head, maybe some storytime would help.**

_Sephiroth shook his head and looked the book over. It was well worn, showing where the pages had been thumbed over and over, particularly at a certain poem. He flipped to it and started to read.  
_

_"There is a place where the sidewalk ends/ And before the street begins/ And there the grass grows soft and white/ And there the sun burns crimson bright/ And there the moon-bird rests from his flight/ To cool in the peppermint wind," he read. He realized that was what Jynx had recited earlier._

_"Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black/ And the dark street winds and bends/ Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow/ We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow/ And watch where the chalk-white arrows go/ To the place where the sidewalk ends," he continued. _

_"Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow/ And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go/ For the children, they mark, and the children, they know/ The place where the sidewalk ends." He closed the book._

**Alderyn looked at him. "That's sounds neat." She admitted. "Sorry Jynx," She called up to the demon. "I really hadn't heard it before."**

_The cat demon's reply sounded forlorn and depressed. "Not surprised."  
_

_Up in the room where she had found Stitch, Jynx was sitting with her back to the wall. Stitch was sitting in her lap, trying to cheer her up.  
_

_"What wrong?" he asked repeatedly. Finally Jynx answered.  
_

_"Just feeling a childhood dream slipping through my grasp," she murmured gloomily. She ruffled his ears. "What say we sneak off tomorrow morning? Leave them behind? Find it ourselves?"_

_"Find what?"  
_

_Jynx looked up at the voice and saw Sei and Ed standing in the door. The dog demon cocked her head. _

_"What's up?" she asked.  
_

_"Ever heard of Sidewalk's End?" Jynx said in reply. Sei frowned.  
_

_"Don't think so..." She turned to Ed. "How 'bout you?" He shook his head.  
_

_Jynx smiled grimly. "Figures." She didn't elaborate. Sensing an escape plan, Sei and Ed hurried off and told Alderyn._

**Alderyn glared at them after they had ranted on and on about Jynx and Stitch. She glared at them. "And you came to tell me why?" Her eye twitched. She had almost been asleep when they came and jumped on her.**

_"We figured if anyone could get her to stay it'd be you!" Sei yelped, quailing under Alderyn's glare. The others turned to her.  
_

_"Knowing Jynx she'd get in trouble if she went off by herself," Fenrir said. "Her and Stitch are the terrible two, yanno." Sephiroth and Xemnas nodded, though they owed Jynx and her prankster nature. If she hadn't had such a nature and a love of yaoi, they would never have gotten together._

**Alderyn sighed. "Fine, we'll all follow them tomorrow. It's as simple as that. Now can we go sleep now?" She whined.**

_The others nodded and headed off to their respective rooms, though Fenrir was still sleeping on the couch. She continued reading her book late into the night.  
_

_The next morning, Jynx and Stitch slipped out into the early morning fog, Jynx carrying a bag with the book and a map. The two jumped as the other materialized from the fog.  
_

_"I thought you guys weren't coming," Jynx said in amazement._

**"Well, considering it would be you two," Alderyn pointed at them." That are going, we thought that it would be safer for those you encounter if we come along."**

**Chichiri nodded. "You're bound to make some people angry, No Da."**

_Jynx rubbed the back of her head.  
_

_"I guess you're right..." she said sheepishly. Then she brightened. "Then let's get the lead out, and I don't mean Zeppelin!" With that she and Stitch ran off into the fog._

-End-

Jynx: Whee, Sidewalk's End! YAY!

Fenrir: Hey, we finally have a plot.

Alderyn: And it only took us thirteen chapters, three intermissions, and two special inserts to get there.


	17. Chapter 14

**"It's cold, why do we always have to go where its cold?" Alderyn asked grumpily as she trudged in the snow next to Chichiri. Both were bundled up in their winter gear. Around them everyone else was dress simarily.**

_"It's cold? Really?" Jynx asked. Of the group, she was the one least dressed for the weather. Being an ice master, she was untroubled by cold._

**"Yes it is. And it is not fun. When are we getting to the 'End of the Sidewalk'?" Alderyn asked and sneezed.**

_Jynx stared ahead through the snowflakes that were beginning to fall. "Not for a while yet," she said offhandedly. "Still a ways."  
_

_"Oh, bloody brilliant," Fenrir growled. She still hated the cold. Jynx pulled a map out of her bag and stared at it, looking at the map, then at the horizon, then at the map... over and over.  
_

_"What's up, Jynx?" Xemnas asked, hugging a somewhat shivering Sephiroth.  
_

_"This weather'll make it... difficult," Jynx answered guardedly._

**"Is it the weather as in the cold weather or is it going to change?" The bird girl flapped her wings irritated. Chichiri smiled beside her the cold not bothering him. She glared. "You, I hate you. Why can't you use that magic of yours to make me warm too?" **

**He shrugged helplessly. "I can't , No Da."**

_"It's going to start snowing very hard, very soon," Jynx answered. Just then Stitch came scampering back to them. "How about it? Any inns or anything?" Stitch nodded.  
_

_"Follow!" he said, running off. Jynx grinned at them and dashed off after him, her tail waving behind her._

**"Yatta! Warmth!" Alderyn yelled happily and flew after Jynx and Stitch. Chichiri jogged after the flying girl. Ed trudged behind them, finding it hard to walk in the snow that came up past his ankles, though on everyone else it barely topped the soles of their shoes.**

_The inn was atop a hill, the windows throwing orange squares on the accumulating snow. Stitch pushed the door open, and the others followed.  
_

_"I know this place," Jynx said, looking around. "I wonder if... Hey! Anyone here?" she shouted._

**"As long as its warm." Alderyn muttered. Ed had caught up and was now cursing the snow behind her. Chichiri looked at him. "It's not the snow's fault that you're short, No Da." Before Ed could start his rant, Sei put her hand over his mouth and glared at him. He glared back at her.**

_"What, what, what, who is it?" With that a barmaid flounced out of the back room. She crossed her arms over her curiously flat chest and glared at them.  
_

_"Ease off, Makoto," Jynx said. "Still playing the barmaid game, I see. Why do you love dressing in women's clothing? You're weird, dude."  
_

_"DUDE?"  
_

_Jynx and Makoto ignored the shocked chorus behind them and continued shooting the shit. Xemnas and Sephiroth looked at each other._

**Alderyn smiled at the barmaid. She walked right up to him and began examining his outfit. "Hmmmm..." SHe said as she looked at the curious stitching and embriodery.**

_"Um... Jynx? Do you know this person?" Makoto said, shying away from Alderyn. "Why is she staring at my dress?"  
_

_Fenrir made a noise that sounded like a hastily stifled laugh. Xemnas stared at her.  
_

_"Sorry," she said. "It's just funny hearing a dude say 'My dress'. What is this, that cross-dresser flick with Wesley Snipes and those other dudes?"  
_

_"That's a good movie!" Makoto said suddenly. "Would you stop it?" he said suddenly, smacking Alderyn's hands._

**Alderyn looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "But I must analyze the construction of this garment. I haven't seen this type of stitching before. Is it French or something completely different." She bombarded the crossdresser with questions and latched onto the bottom of his skirt.**

_"It's Japanese! Now would you stop that?" he snapped. Once again he smacked her hands away. "So why are you here?" he asked, keeping a wary eye on Alderyn.  
_

_"We're looking for Sidewalk's End!" Jynx announced proudly. "And they were whinging about the cold, and the snow wasn't going to make it any better, and--"  
_

_"Okay, I'm sorry I asked." He walked over to Jynx and whispered something in her ear.  
_

_"Yep, over there!" She surreptitiously pointed to Xemnas and Sephiroth._

**Alderyn followed Makoto around like a puppy. Her mind was racing with the desire to take the dress. She could learn so much from it, she thought. Chichiri slapped her with his monk's staff. **

**"Stop, No Da." He said simply. "You scared him." Alderyn pouted at him and sat at one of the tables, still glancing accasionally at Makoto.**

_"So... how'd you do it this time?" Makoto asked, sitting next to Jynx at a table.  
_

_"Frozen lake and a very mischievous bird demon," the cat demon answered as Stitch hopped into her lap.  
_

_"Who's this?" Makoto asked.  
_

_"My name Stitch!" the little blue alien answered.  
_

_"So Cuute!" Makoto said, suddenly hugging him._

**Sei had found herself behind the bar and was digging through the curious-looking bottles.She happily tried some of the liquid in them. She stuck out her tongue at the sharp taste and looked even further. Her foot slipped and the whole shelf crashed to the floor. The bottles shattered and the liquid splashed everywhere and Sei sat in the middle of it all.**

_"Goddammit," Makoto sighed, getting up and releasing Stitch, who gasped for breath. "Not again."  
_

_"You sound resigned to this," Jynx remarked, resting her head on her hand.  
_

_"Not all my clientele is... calm," Makoto replied, smoothing out his skirt.  
_

_Jynx chanced a glance at Xemnas and Sephiroth. Sephiroth was sitting on Xemnas' lap, resting his head on his shoulder. "Psst! Ko-kun, lookie! Super-kawaii shonen-ai!" she hissed._

**Alderyn got up and began to chase the soaking wet Sei around with her fist raised. The bird caught her and pummeled her. She set the girl to cleaining it up and then went back to her table and sat down. "So what's the plan from here?" She asked no one in particular.**

_"Well, we hang here until it stops snowing, stop at the next town, wherever that is, get supplies, and then continue onwards," Jynx answered as Makoto crept over to the corner to stare. "Makoto knows better than to try and turn me away. I've whacked him one too many times."_

**The group chuckled at the thought."Makoto, do you have rooms? I wanna sleep some while it snows." Alderyn yawned and stretched to emphasise her point.**

_"Huh? Oh, sure," he said. "Just up that way. Take your pick, they're all empty." He pointed to a set of stairs, then completely stopped paying attention to them in favour of watching Xemnas and Sephiroth who had sat down in front of the fire and were cuddling close.  
_

_The others all decided to catch up on sleep as well, except Jynx. She made her way over to Makoto as they headed up the stairs.  
_

_"So... any attacks lately?" she asked, her eye reflecting a seriousness not oft seen. Makoto looked grim suddenly._

**Alderyn and Chichiri chose the first room and were soon fast asleep. Sei and Ed fought over the next one. Both ended up breaking the bed.**

_"No, though there've been a few close calls," Makoto said, not flinching when the crash from the bed echoed down to them. "Fortunately the raiders are moving farther and farther north. They haven't come down here recently. If you guys are headed that way, watch out." Jynx nodded._

_"We are," Jynx answered. "I'm hoping we don't run into them. We don't exactly have much, and you know what they do then." Makoto shuddered and nodded. Xemnas and Sephiroth were sitting against each other in front of the fire. From the looks of things, Sephiroth, once again in Xemnas' lap, was falling asleep.  
_

_"They sure are cute together," Makoto commented. "You have a good eye for pairings."  
_

_"Hah, they were easy. Seph had a crush on Xemnas and it seemed Xem liked Seph," Jynx answered triumphantly. "Didn't take much."_

_The two stayed up for the rest of the night, discussing different techniques in hooking up guys. Xemnas and Sephiroth, completely oblivious to them, fell asleep in front of the fire, cuddled together like a pair of cats._

**Alderyn stumbled out of bed. Unused to the surroundings she blearly walked towards where she thought the kitchen was. Obviously she was wrong. She found stairs instead and without precedent she tripped down them, cursing loudly as she tumbled.**

_Jynx jumped, whipping around as her card materialized in her hand. Makoto didn't even flinch. Xemnas stirred and carefully sat up so's not to wake Sephiroth.  
_

_"Who fell?" he asked.  
_

_"Alderyn," Jynx sighed, sending her cards away. Xemnas nodded and gently shook Sephiroth awake.  
_

_"Wake up, love," he murmured. Sephiroth opened his eyes and sat up. He winced.  
_

_"Ugh, remind me never to sleep on a stone floor," he groaned. Xemnas rubbed his back, sharing a brief kiss with him. Makoto and Jynx grinned hugely._

**Alderyn lay on the floor with her legs up in the air and her wings askew. She groaned and rolled over. "Who the hell put stairs there?" She mumbled and got slowly to her feet.**

_Whoever built this place," Makoto replied, snickering at her.  
_

_Jynx rolled her eye as the others came down the stairs.  
_

_"Someone falling down the stairs again?" Sei asked. Stitch scurried down the stairs on all... um... sixes... and jumped onto Jynx's head.  
_

_"Good morning, Stitch," she said._

**Alderyn made her way over to Makoto."Where's the kitchen?" She asked and her stomach growled. Chichiri came down the stairs gracefully and Alderyn glared at the gracefulness. He went to talk to Sei. Alderyn turned her attention back to Makoto.**

_"In back of the bar there," Makoto said, not looking in the least that he'd been awake all night. "Why?_

**"I'm gonna make scones." Alderyn said and yawned. She walked to the kitchen without another word.**

_"Yay, scones!" Sei said. "Chocolate chip, right?"  
_

_"Yeah, Chocolate chip!" Jynx cried.  
_

_"Ooo, chocolate!" Makoto said._

**"Yes, chocolate chip. And raspberry, white chocolate." She said and went about the kitchen finding what she needed.**

_Jynx twitched oddly. "Raspberry?" she repeated. "As in, fresh and not from a freezer?" She turned jerkily to Makoto, reminding Sephiroth of the way Fenrir turned when Xemnas showed up. "You have... fresh raspberries?" Makoto nodded cautiously.  
_

_"Yes... why?" he replied.  
_

_Jynx's eye twitched. "RASPBERRIES!" she shouted. With that she raced through walls and shoved Alderyn aside, lunging for the box of raspberries._

**Alderyn glared at her. She grabbed the box quickly. "These are going into my scones." She growled and held the box to her chest.**

_"Unless you wanna get groped, hand over the raspberries," Jynx hissed. "And don't bother putting them down your shirt. I'll just go after them." Her eye narrowed dangerously.  
_

_Meanwhile, the others (except Xemnas and Sephiroth) had crowded around the door, eager to see something happening. Xemnas and Sephiroth took this opportunity of distraction to get in an early morning make-out session._

**Alderyn glared. "You try it and you'll find my katana in your stomach." The bird demon growled and her wings moved irritatedly.**

_Jynx smirked and picked up a large, lethal-looking Santoku knife.  
_

_"I'm intangible," she said smugly, slicing through her arm with no apparent signs of damage. She pulled back her sleeve to reveal her arm, whole and uninjured. "Just try and stab me." Without warning she lunged forward and grabbed the raspberries._

**Alderyn went to grab them back. "I need them for scones!" She yelled and lunged at Jynx.**

_"Alderyn, it's safer to just forget about making raspberry scones," Fenrir called. "Now that she has 'em, Jynx isn't gonna give 'em back."  
_

_As if to accentuate this, Jynx opened her own wings (which easily dwarfed Alderyn's) slightly, hissed loudly, and fluttered on top of a shelf, clutching the raspberries possessively._

**Alderyn glared at Jynx. "If I can't my raspberry scones then I also won't make chocolate ones." She sat down and pouted. She also glared up at the demon on the shelf.**

_Jynx glared back, shooting enough venom from one eye as anyone could with two. The one-eyed cat demon hissed again. Only Fenrir noticed her irises beginning to shrink.  
_

_"Alderyn, just forget about the raspberries," she said hastily. "Unless you want Malyse to pay a visit." Makoto looked alarmed.  
_

_"Fuck. No," he said. "I will not have that psychopath in here, and that's final. Either give up on the raspberries or get the hell out."_

**Alderyn glared at them. She stormed over to the fire and sat down next to it. "Fine, then no scones." She took a book out and began reading.**

_The others glared up at Jynx, who was completely oblivious to them as she happily scarfed down several raspberries at once.  
_

_"Nice move, Cyclops," Fenrir growled.  
_

_"Aw, thut up," Jynx said, mouth full of raspberries. "You're a conthurer. Juth conthure thome."  
_

_Fenrir blinked. "Oh yeah!" she said, face brightening. With that she conjured another box and chucked it at Alderyn. "Heads up."_

**Alderyn caught it gleefully and sped off to the kitchen. They could hear the pots and pans being shifted around as she began to make her scones.**

_Fenrir shook her head.  
_

_"Don't fay I never do anything for you guyf."  
_

_"Don't talk with your mouth full."  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth by now had realized Jynx was failing to entertain, so the crazies would turn to the next best thing: yaoi. They parted reluctantly as Makoto led the others back in._

**Chichiri looked around him and sighed. "Are we planning on going anytime soo, No Da?" He asked and wondered if he was the only sane one in the inn.**

_"Prolly after brekkist," Fenrir said with a yawn, a Cockney accent seeping into her voice.  
_

_"Oui," Jynx said, appearing beside her. Fenrir yelped and fell out of her chair. As she got back up swearing loudly, Makoto started laughing at her. "That'll do, pig," Jynx said as she poked his side. He squawked loudly and also fell out of his chair._

**Alderyn came waltzing out of the kitchen, a happy grin on her face. She held a tray heeping with warm scones. "They're done she said happily."**

_As expected, everyone pounced on the scones. Jynx outlined the plan again as they munched the scones, explaining how essential it was to keep a Northerly course.  
_

_"Also, we have bands of raiders to watch out for," she said. "They're like Vikings, 'cept they don't have cool boats or helmets and don't say 'Hinga-Dinga-Durgens!' regrettably. We should be able to beat 'em if they_ _attack, tho'."_

**"Why are there raiders this far north? There isn't much up here but snow and polar bears." Alderyn asked munching happily on her raspberry scone.**

_"They're still there. I think they mostly look for unwary travelers," Makoto said, swiping Sei's chocolate scone.  
_

_"Huh. Idi- hey!" Sei yelled, finally noticing Makoto had stolen a scone. She tried to get it back, but he hastily licked it and stuck his tongue out at her.  
_

**"If they are Vikings, can we steal their axes?" Alderyn asked and smirked. "I want a big battle ax!"**

_Jynx massaged her temples. "They're not Vikings, and they don't carry battle axes. They're more like Mongols, for some reason..." She frowned as she tried to figure this out.  
_

_After they were done, they left the inn, waving good-bye to Makoto.  
_

_The snow was a couple feet deep, and Jynx and Fenrir immediately started throwing snowballs at each other._

**Ed was grumbling, the snow almsot reaching his neck. Sei laughed and pushed him into a snow drift that swallowed him. Alderyn joined the snowball fight, flying over the two and dropping the snow on their heads.**

_"Oh, it's on, bitch!" Jynx said, opening her wings and taking to the air.  
_

_While up in the air, she conjured a massive amount of snow and dumped it on their heads.  
_

_"Never start a snowball fight with an ice master!" she crowed. The bishies wisely stayed out of it._

**"Gaah," Alderyn spluttered as she pushed the snow off her. She slammed a chakra induced snowball at Jynx then one at Fenrir.**

_Jynx merely halted the snowball with her hand and sent it flying at Alderyn with a flick of her wrist. She yawned showily.  
_

_"That all you got?" she asked.  
_

_Moments later a snowball hit her in the face._

**Alderyn cheered and looked at Fenrir. "Good shot!'**

_Jynx lifted an eyebrow.  
_

_"Oh really?" she muttered. She hovered above the ground for a minute, then fanned her wings hard. Snow flew at the others, almost completely burying them. "I win."  
_

_With that she looped through the air and landed._

**Alderyn adn Chichir popped their heads out of the snow and blinked at each other then shivered. "Jynx, it's cooold, no Da." CHichiri said matter-of-factly.**

_"It IS snow, dummy," she said, shrugging. She held out one hand. After a moment, two golf ball-sized flames appeared in her palm. She froze them over, and chucked them at Alderyn and Chichiri. "Hold on to those. They'll keep you warm."  
_

_Sephiroth, Xemnas, Ed, and Sei had wisely kept out of it._

**"Yay, Warmth." Ali yelled happily and put the flame in her jacket. CHichiri did the same. Ed looked up at Jynx. "So when are we getting there?"**

_"Do we look like we're in the North Pole?" Jynx replied. "We've still got a ways."  
_

_"Where's the next town?" Sei asked. Jynx shrugged.  
_

_"Not for a while," she replied. "It's some small town that doesn't even have a name. All it has are a few homes, an inn, and... well, that's it, really. I grew up there."_

**Ed snorted. "No wonder you're a freak." He muttered in a low voice. Alderyn and Sei glared at him sharply.**

_Jynx's ears twitched, but other than that she gave no sign she'd heard. Stitch suddenly popped out of a snowbank, shook himself off, and hopped onto Jynx's head.  
_

_"Right, continuing on," Jynx said as she led the way._

-End-

Jynx: Hehe… I ought to show this to the real Makoto… see what he thinks. He'll prob'ly laugh himself ill. And it's totally true that if you're annoyed with him, just poke him in the side and he'll either yelp, fall out of his chair, swear, or all three. I got him to do that once. Damn, that was funny… X3

Fenrir: You're evil.

Jynx: I know. X3


	18. Chapter 15

_"Damn, this place IS small."_

_The group of oddballs stood at one end of a tiny town far in the north. There were a few houses, perhaps five or six, and one large inn. The streets had been swept of snow, which piled up at the corners of buildings and in alleys. There were few people out, due to the cold and the fact that it was late at night.  
_

_Jynx smiled. "Yep, but it's my hometown. I was born in France, in Marseille, but then we moved here. My house is the black one on the end."_

**"It reminds me of Badger." Alderyn said happily as she walked towards the town.**

**"Badger? Where's that?" Ed asked confused. **

**"Badger Iowa. My uncle owns a bar there. He gives us free drinks. It's about as small as this except its surrounded by cornfields instead of snow."**

_"Never been to Iowa," Jynx replied airily. "Let's see if my sis still lives here. Knowing her, she's probably moved by now." She led the way through the small town, towards the black home. It was small, the outside consisting of a wraparound porch. It looked to have one floor. Jynx ran up the steps and peered in. "She must have moved. It's kinda empty in there. Prob'ly went to New England." She pushed open the door and beckoned the others in._

**"Sis, oh gods not another Jynx." Alderyn said dramatically and followed the demon in.**

_"Don't worry, Nik's nothing like me. She's not here anyway," Jynx said. She looked over in one corner and grinned. "Huh, she left my guitar, though." She walked over and picked it up, experimentally drawing her fingers across the strings. "Still in tune, too."_

_She looked at the others. "Make yourselves at home. This place is much bigger than it looks. It's just enchanted to look small."_

**Alderyn and Chichiri found a niche in the wall and sat down together to read. Each were reading completely different things. Alderyn had a hard cover Tennysons poetry book from the 1800s and Chichiri read a scroll on chi manipulation.**

_Xemnas sat on the couch, Sephiroth joining him. As expected, the two cuddled close together, seeming to fall asleep. Jynx, meanwhile, idly toyed with her guitar, running through every chord she knew, a few fingerpick practice arpeggios, and what sounded suspiciously like "Amazing Grace". Fenrir stared at the bookshelves and pulled down a book of Edgar Allen Poe writings._

**Sei was pulling Ed around the house. Ed was trying to stop Sei from touching everything. "Oooh look," Sei would go to touch it. "Sei, don't touch that." Sei would smirk and quickly touch then move onto the next thing. it happened over and over.**

_It wasn't long before Jynx started playing "Mood for a day" by Yes, impressing Xemnas, Sephiroth, and Fenrir, all of whom liked that band and knew the song was difficult. She immediately segued into "2112" by Rush, earning their admiration for playing a twenty-minute hard rock song on an acoustic guitar._

**Alderyn nodded off and put her head on Chichiri's shoulder. He closed her book and closed his eyes, listening to Jynx's guitar. Sei listened for a bit then went back to touching the various things she found interesting.**

_Jynx, observing those starting to slip off, started playing "Portrait of the Father" by Tsuneo Imahori. She played the English horn part however. By the time she finished, nearly everyone was asleep. Sei had stopped touching everything, Xemnas had his arm around Sephiroth's waist, and Sephiroth was leaning on Xemnas' shoulder. Jynx smiled slightly and continued idly playing._

_The next morning, Jynx had fallen asleep, her guitar still in her lap. Xemnas and Sephiroth awoke first, oddly enough.  
_

_"Where are... oh, I remember," Sephiroth murmured sleepily. The two lovers rose and crossed to the window, staring out at the snow. The sun sparkled and glittered on its surface, turning it various rainbow hues.  
_

_"That's nifty," Xemnas remarked._

_"Now you know why I work with ice." They turned. Jynx stood behind them, still holding her guitar._

_"You can control it and turn it to bad uses as much as you like, but in the end it's still capable of being something pretty," Jynx said, standing next to them. Sephiroth only then noticed how tall she was; she topped him by a couple inches at least. She held up one hand and allowed ice to encase it. "Although... how pure it is depends on its past, how pure the water was."  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth, sensing something deeper here, didn't say anything.  
_

_"Ice can preserve, but fire... fire just destroys. It clears the way, sure, but in the end it simply destroys." She fell silent as Sei stirred._

**The dog demon sat up and yawned almost popping her jaw out of its ocket. She looked around and saw the three. "Whats for breakfast?" She quipped smiling.**

_Jynx shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't been here in years. Who knows what Nik stocked the place with," she replied. She led the way into the kitchen and began rummaging in the cupboards. Xemnas and Sephiroth continued staring out the window._

_"What was THAT all about?" Xemnas asked quietly.  
_

_Sephiroth didn't answer._

**Sei had followed Jynx into the kitchen. In her early morning stupor she managed to knock over a thing of flour, break a glass, trip over a chair, and slam headfirst into a cabinet all in the first five minutes of walking into the room.**

_Jynx laughed at her as she continued making a mess of the cupboards._

_"I'm not finding anything edible," she said slowly. "Oh well. We can just get Fenny to conjure something when she wakes up."_

_Fenrir was still asleep with her book over her face._

_Sephiroth leaned against Xemnas, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I think there's more to Jynx than meets the eye," he murmured. Xemnas nodded his agreement._

**"Food!" Sei yelled and ran into the room. She pounced on the sleeping Fenrir.**

_Fenrir "Oof"ed and lifted the book, glaring sleepily at the dog demon sitting on her stomach._

_"Whaddya want?" she growled. "Yer bloody 'eavy."_

_"Food! Jynx said you'd conjure something for us for breakfast!" Sei explained._

_"Nah... Don't feel loike et," Fenrir muttered. She pulled the book over her face again, her Cockney accent thick and nearly unintelligible. "Eat Stitch."_

**Sei's eyes twinkled and she looked at the blue alien. "Oh Stitch buddy, come here a moment." She gave a fair imitation of Alderyn's Homicidal Grin.**

_"Oh no, I don't think so," Jynx said, seizing Stitch and hugging him close. Stitch stuck his tongue out at Sei, who pounced._

_Meanwhile, Xemnas and Sephiroth were ignoring them. They stood with their fingers linked, kissing softly. After a moment Sephiroth rested his head on Xemnas' shoulder as Xemnas wrapped his arms around him._

_"I sense yaoi!" Jynx said. Still holding Stitch, she snuck over to the couch, sinking through the floor and watching from a level of approximately the arm of the couch._

**Alderyn opened her eyes and gave a small yawn. "You know, you guys are too damn cheerful for this early in the morning." she muttered and untangled herself from Chichiri who had his arm tightly around her waist. He woke up and looked around quiestioning.**

_"Alderyn!" Sei said cheerfully. "Make Fenrir conjure something edible for breakfast!"_

_"Don' wanna, go way, don' wanna conjure brekkist," Fenrir groaned inaudibly._

**Alderyn smacked Sei with the flat of her katana. "Stop being hyper in the morning." She said with a glare.**

_Jynx ignored them in favour of watching Xemnas and Sephiroth do fluffy, adorable things that would melt you mind from the kawaiiness if described here and I'm a lazy ass. Stitch, of course, not being a yaoi-lover wandered away to get into trouble, ignoring Sei and Alderyn._

_"But she won't conjure anything!" Sei whined._

**"And what can I do about that?" She asked the dog demon and raised an eyebrow. She glanced over at Xemnas and Seph and smiled slightly. 'Such a cute couple.'**

_Sei frowned. "I dunno, make her, zap her, cast a spell on her, SOMETHING!" she insisted. Jynx, listening to the exchange, rolled her eye._

_'Huh, having one defeats the purpose,' she thought._

_"Jynx, inn't there someplace t' ge' food?" Fenrir asked, the Cockney accent starting to fade._

_"Not really. Not around here. Nik always conjured stuff," Jynx replied, leaving the couch. "She was always good at conjuring the essentials. I can only conjure stuff useful to the art of necromancy." Fenrir groaned._

**"Does that mean dead bodies?" Sei asked and hid behind Ed. Ed glared at the dog demon. Alderyn sighed and shook her head.**

_"I didn't conjure dead bodies," Jynx replied, miffed slightly. "I had to go get those myself. I conjured equipment and such. I'm the top-ranked necro in the world!" she said proudly. "I traded my eye for the eye of Charon so I could be as powerful as he is." She sat on the couch grinning smugly._

**Sei blinked a couple times and moved away from Ed a little. "Charon? Who's that?" She asked and her ears twitched.**

_"Boatman of the river Styx," Jynx answered, dipping her head so her eye appeared hooded and sinister. "He ferried the newly dead to hell."_

_Sei eep'ed and hid, Jynx laughing maniacally._

_"Cut it out, Jynx," Fenrir snapped. "It's too early."_

**Alderyn sat forward, intriqued. "How'd you get to the river?" She asked.**

_"It's a snap for a necro," Jynx asked with a shrug. "Well, a Shinigami-ranked necro, anyway. I doubt anyone lower could open the portal. I had to draw a symbol on the floor and recite some great long Latin phrase. I made a mess when Charon showed up. He wasn't very clean about taking my left eye."_

**Sei shivered and looked at the crazy demon with a twitch in her eye. "That must have ahurt..." She said.**

_Jynx grinned, sensing an opportunity for chaos. She pulled off her eyepatch, revealing a scarred, empty, useless eye socket._

_"Ya think?" she said._

**Sei squeaked and jumped behind Ed, who looked rather unperturbed by the absence of the eye. Afterall he had seen worse. **

_"That ain't the half of it," Jynx said. The four claw-like scars crossing her eyelid had fused it shut, making it unlikely it would ever open again._

_They began to split along the line of her eyelid. Finally her eye was open, though it was unlike the other. Instead of white, it was yellow, with an pupil-less blue-green iris. There was something highly sinister about it._

**"You are purposely trying to scare Sei shitless aren't you?" Alderyn chuckled slightly though the eye perturbed her a little. The dog demon had pushed Ed forward and was now trying to hide under the boy's cloak.**

_"Huh, hardly," Jynx said, turning her odd gaze on Alderyn. "Not my fault Charon has odd-ass eyes." She shrugged and closed her left eye. The scars grew over it once more, and she replaced her eyepatch. "'S why I wear this."_

_"What happened to brekkist?" Fenrir asked._

**Alderyn slapped Fenrir in the back of the head. "You're supposed to conjure it up!" She told the girl with a glare**.

_Fenrir swiped at Alderyn. "No one's told me what to conjure!" she snapped._

**Alderyn dodged easily. "Tha's cuz you went all cockney on us and refused to conjure something." She retorted. "How about pancakes." She looked at the others to see what they thought.**

_Jynx started jumping up and down. "Blueberry, blueberry!" she shouted. "Blueberry pancakes!"_

_"Chocolate chip!" Sei yelled._

_Xemnas and Sephiroth stared at them and then at each other._

_"They're very odd," Sephiroth remarked idly._

_"And voyeuristic," Xemnas said with a smirk. Jynx flew at them._

_"I'M NOT A VOYEUR!" she shouted._

**Sei blinked, once again confused. "Voyeur...and that means what?" She asked the closes person to her, which happened to be Fenrir.**

_"Er... someone who watches other people... um... doin' it... for... ah... pleasure," Fenrir explained, reddening slightly._

**Sei's eyes got as big as platter plates. "Ooooh,..." She looked at Jynx. "But that's what you do." She told the demon. "Why are you saying you aren't one?"**

_Jynx halted in midair._

_"Oh, come off it," she growled. "Do you honestly think I'd resort to visual mastur-" Fenrir clapped a hand over her mouth._

_"She's a sort of matchmaker. She doesn't count," she said hastily. Suddenly she yelped. "No fair! You bit me!"_

_Jynx stuck her tongue out at Fenrir._

**Sei looked at the pair and opened her mouth. Alderyn quickly shot over and grabbed her to the side. "Unless you want to piss both of them off and get yourself more confused, I suggest you stop asking questions."**

_Wisely, Sei nodded. Fenrir shook her head (and her hand) and conjured two heaps of pancakes, one stack blueberry and the other chocolate chip. Jynx lunged forward and nicked two from each stack._

_"Damn, Jynx!" Xemnas said in amazement, having never seen anyone eat four good-sized pancakes in one meal._

_"Some cat demons, no matter how scrawny they are, have huge appetites," Fenrir said, taking two blueberries. "Jynx is one of them. She can positively decimate a box of breakfast cereal in a day or so. What everyone wonders is how she stays scrawny like that."_

**Alderyn glared at the cat demon. "Lucky bitch." she muttered and took two chocolate. CHichiri followed her lead.**

_Jynx, mouth full of pancake, shrugged._

_"Can't help it. Prol'ly has somethin' to do with this eye of mine," she said after swallowing. "Might take a lot of energy to support it. Or the fact that I drink milk like some people drink water. I'm technically underweight, I think. I'm six-three, but I only weigh one-thirty."_

_Sei stared at her. "What does milk have to do with it?" she asked, nose wrinkling._

_"Studies suggest drinking milk helps weight loss. Though I really shouldn't worry..."_

_Xemnas shook his head as she wolfed down the pancakes and went for another._

**Alderyn snorted. "If that's true then Sei should be the size of a cow. She hates milk." Chichiri and Ed tried to hide chuckles.**

_Jynx shrugged again. "Not the only factor," she answered. She turned to Xemnas and Sephiroth. "And you can stop staring. Just because I never ate like this at the castle doesn't mean anything. I've been holding back since I got here. This is actually fairly small compared to what I usually eat. Garn, I was starving at the castle."_

_Fenrir nodded. "I've seen what she usually calls a meal. She usually takes enough for five," she said. "We've all wondered where the hell she puts it."_

_"I'm like a Redwall hare," Jynx said._

-O-

**Sei ran ahead of them all, happily stretching her legs. She was after all dog demon therefore she loved to run. The fact made her recieve glares from those who couldn't keep up with her. Mainly Ed, who's short legs worked furiously, trying to catch up to the dog demon.**

_Jynx grinned evilly and took off, taking long strides that allowed her to effortlessly pass Sei. "Longer legs, bitch!" she shouted. "And excess energy!" Xemnas and Sephiroth, both tall and long-legged, looked at each other and grinned. They took off, running to keep up with Jynx._

**Alderyn glared at them all and jumped into the air. 'Running' she thought in disgust. She flew above them lazily. Chichiri kept up with the others easily as well, running beside Sephiroth. Ed was sadly left behind cursing loudly.**

_Jynx looked at Sephiroth and Xemnas. The three nodded._

_"Three... two...one... GO!" Jynx said. The three bolted, racing far ahead of everyone._

_"Dammit!" Sei and Fenrir swore._

**Chichiri took no mind, he just kept running. The others would tire ot eventually and all would catch up, he reasoned. Above them Ali swooped back and picked up Ed, taking pity on his short legs.**

_Far ahead of the rest, Xemnas, Sephiroth, and Jynx stopped under a bare tree, panting hard._

_"Ugh, no stamina..."Jynx groaned, collapsing. Xemnas and Sephiroth didn't reply, simply leaned on each other. Jynx turned and stared at the others. "Hey look, they're way far behind," she remarked._

**Chichiri came up slowly and sat down next to Jynx. Alderyn flew above them and dropped the screaming Ed down into a snow drift. She landed in the tree and looked at the two who were still running towards them.**

_"Dammit," Fenrir panted. "Screw this." She grabbed Sei and opened her wings, which weren't quite as powerful as Jynx's, though they were far larger. She flew at them and dropped Sei._

_"Now that we've all shown off how fast we can run, can we move on?" Fenrir growled._

_"As soon as I come back to life," Jynx groaned._

-End_-_

Jynx: Ack… (coughs) Dammit… effing exercise-induced asthma… (coughs)

Fenrir: That's what ya get.

Alderyn: Bitch…

Jynx and Fenrir?

Alderyn: Eats whatever the hell she wants… as much as she wants…

Jynx: Oh great. (Coughs) She's still jealous. (coughs)


	19. Intermission: Sweet Emotion

Jynx: Whee, it's late and I'm doing an intermission! I'm mad as pilchards! X3

-Intermission: Sweet Emotion-

Aoife and Andante stared in disbelief at Xemnas and Sephiroth. They looked at each other, then at Mirath.

"Are you behind this, boy?" Andante growled. Mirath shook his head vigorously.

"Nein, nein, it's not me!" he protested. "Fenrir doesn't seem to be in control anymore! Someone new has us."

"But who?"

"Jynx Heureux, that's who."

The three muses spun around to come face to face with a tall, good-looking muse with pointed ears standing behind them. He had his hands in the pockets of his black leather pants, watching them over the tops of his rectangular glasses. He lifted an eyebrow at them, his long sleeveless coat rustling faintly.

Andante's eyes widened behind his mirrored sunglasses. He swallowed hard, dimly aware that his face was growing redder by the second. Aoife glanced at him.

"Hey! Andante, what's the matter with you?" she snapped. Andante didn't reply, eyes glued to the new muse. Aoife gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the muse again.

"Who are you, anyway?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"My name's Firn," he replied. "Jynx sent me to inform all of Fenrir's muses that they are no longer in control of anything going on. That task has been relegated to Nikolai, Jiin, Jack, Bartholomew, Beau, and myself. You are now classified as amusing extra characters."

Mirath immediately protested loudly, but Andante was still too stupefied to answer. He blinked several times and would have spoken, had his mouth not been drier than the Gobi in midsummer. His knees shook slightly.

"Also, Jynx's lead muse, Nikolai, has seen to it that you three will be given a guard to make sure you don't do anything inappropriate," Firn continued, oblivious to Andante's stares. "She has appointed Bartholomew to this post."

"Who's Bartholomew?" Mirath asked.

"I am," came a cultured British voice from behind Firn.

A tall, powerful-looking pale grey rat in a black and red-trimmed doublet and carrying a long rapier stepped into view. The look he gave them as he surveyed the three over his pince-nez glasses was positively curdling.

"If looks could kill, we'd be pushing up the daisies," Aoife muttered to her cohorts. However, Mirath was the only one who heard her. Andante was still lost in thought.

"I highly doubt the capabilities of these three to cause any lasting damage," the rat said.

"Just follow orders and watch them, Bart," Firn sighed, brushing a few stray hairs away from his eyes. Andante thought he would melt. Bartholomew nodded reluctantly and glared at them, tapping his rapier against his long tail. Firn whispered something in his ear. The rat nodded and dragged Andante over. Andante paled noticeably.

"I-I-I…" he stammered.

"Come with me," Firn said. Andante nearly fainted from the implications and innuendoes of that statement, and hastily pressed his sleeve to his nose against a sudden nosebleed. Firn grabbed Andante's arm (Andante nearly passed out) and led him away.

Much later Andante returned, face red as the setting sun. He flopped down on the cloud and stared at nothing.

"What's your problem?" Aoife asked scornfully.

Andante stared at her for a moment, then fell onto his back, staring up at the sky.

"I think I'm in love," he said dreamily.

"WHAT?"

-Some time later-

"Okay, start over. What the fuck?"

Andante was still lying on his back, staring at the sky. "I'm in love," he repeated, smiling blissfully.

"With who?" Aoife asked, one hand on her hip and the other pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Firn," Andante sighed.

"Herr Andante… he's one of Jynx's muses," Mirath said uncertainly. "Do you want this to be like Romeo and Juliet?"

"Not at all!" Andante replied, sitting up sharply. "So I became one of Jynx's muses!"

"YOU TRAITOR!"

Andante didn't seem to notice their ire. He flopped onto his back again. "He said Jynx had heard of me, and so she wanted to enlist my services," he said. "Fenrir's already OK'ed it. So now I can be with Fiiiiirn!" He jumped up and twirled around, singing "Ju te veux" to himself.

"Great," Aoife groaned. "One German kid and a lovesick goon who sings Malice Mizer. My plan is going to hell."

-End-

-End Intermission-

Jynx: Aw, Andante has a cruush! X3

Fenrir: Great. One of my muses has a crush on one of your muses.

Jynx: Hey, at least he fell for Firn, not the giant, doublet-wearing creature named Bartholomew J. Rat.

Alderyn: Where DO you get these names? Beauregard Monblanc, Nikolai Heureux, Jiin Hirano, and Bartholomew J. Rat. What. The. Fuck.

Jynx: X3


	20. Special Insert: Do You Wanna Dance?

Jynx: Okay, all those random little ideas I get are just gonna be PaTP Special Insert chappies. Oh well. This one's kawaii . The title is from a Beach Boys song. Yes, I love old rock music. Next question.

-Special Insert: Do You Wanna Dance-

One night, as Xemnas and Sephiroth lay asleep in Fenrir's room, someone started playing music. Very loudly. Most likely Jynx's doing, the music drifted through the halls of the castle, awakening no one…

…Except Sephiroth.

"_The other night… they were playin' our song… hadn't heard it for oh so long… took me back, darling, to that time in my car… when you cried all night… 'cuz we'd gone too far…"_

Sephiroth's eyes opened blearily. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he idly focused on the music.

"Who's playing the Beach Boys this late at night?" he mumbled, hoping he wouldn't wake Xemnas. He sat on the edge of the bed, wondering if he was awake enough to go and tell whoever it was to turn that music the hell off. Not that he minded the Beach Boys. He just didn't want to hear them at two o' clock in the morning.

He rubbed his eyes and stood, stretching slightly. He stumbled over to the door, laying a hand on the doorknob. He yawned widely.

"Seph?"

Sephiroth turned around and saw Xemnas sitting up.

"Where're you going?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Who's playin' that music?"

"That's what I was going to find out," Sephiroth replied. "I was gonna tell 'em to turn it down. It's probably Jynx or Fenrir."

Xemnas nodded. In the soft moonlight, Sephiroth saw him stand and walk over to the window.

"Do you wanna dance…" he sang softly. Sephiroth cocked his head slightly and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"Was that an invitation?" he asked, grinning. Xemnas turned his head towards him.

"It could be," he replied with a slight smile. Sephiroth moved in front of him and held out a hand.

"Very well, sir, I accept," he said, trying not to grin.

Xemnas bowed to him, and took his hand. He placed his other hand at Sephiroth's waist and drew him close. The two slowly waltzed around the room to the Beach Boys, Xemnas singing along softly to "Surfer Girl." Sephiroth rested his head on his lover's shoulder, eyes closing. At that moment, he didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Do you love me, do you surfer girl," Xemnas sang softly. He gently rested his head atop Sephiroth's, humming quietly. Sephiroth gently wrapped his arms around Xemnas' shoulder, sighing contentedly. Xemnas kissed him gently.

The two stood still as the music finally faded back to an inaudible level. Neither moved for the longest time.

"I love you, Xemnas," Sephiroth whispered.

"I love you too," Xemnas replied, gently stroking Sephiroth's hair.

-

The next morning Xemnas and Sephiroth came into the kitchen hand in hand. They sat down at the table, conscious of the other's stares and, for once, not giving a shit. Jynx and Fenrir came down a few minutes later.

"Who was blasting the Beach Boys?" Jynx asked, pouncing on the chocolate bread on the table seconds later.

"Kep' us awake, so et did," Fenrir yawned, suddenly sporting a broad Cockney accent, as she always did when sleepy or particularly pissed.

Xemnas and Sephiroth looked at each other.

"Dunno," Sei answered. "Didn't hear it."

They only then noticed Stitch was nowhere to be seen. He wandered in the door a few minutes later, humming "Surfing USA."

-End Special Insert-

Jynx: Aww… that was so fluffy and kawaii! X3 I mean, just picture it: Xemnas and Sephiroth, moonlit room, waltzing to a Beach Boys tune? X3 X3 X3

Xemnas and Sephiroth: … … …


	21. Chapter 16

_Sephiroth shivered violently as a freezing wind knifed through them, making all of them shudder, except Jynx. Xemnas wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, despite the fact that he was shivering as well.  
_

_"D-dammit, Jynx!" Fenrir growled. "It's t-too d-d-damn cold!"  
_

_"It'll be warm once we reach Sidewalk's End, I promise!" Jynx said, desperately scanning the icy landscape._

**"And that is when?" Alderyn sneezed. She looked around and saw that Ed was holding onto Sei for dear life. The wind had picked his small form up and was trying to carry it away.**

_Jynx was looking distinctly concerned. "Soon," she said, encasing Ed's boots in some sort of ice that weighed him down enough that he was no longer vulnerable to the wind. "We're nearly there, I think."  
_

_"You THINK?" Sei shrieked._

**Alderyn rubbed her temples. "Just keep moving. "She told the dog demon. "It'll get us there faster, hopefully." She added to the end.**

_The rather forlorn-looking group came over a hill, Jynx in the lead. She gasped.  
_

_Below them was what looked like a tear in a piece of fabric.  
_

_"What is it?" Xemnas asked.  
_

_"A rip in the fabric of space and time," Jynx replied, voice rising with excitement. "Sidewalk's End is a separate pocket dimension, an offshoot of this one, if you will. That rip is the entrance! We've found it!" _

_With that she opened her wings and flew down the hill._

**The others followed after her in various forms of gracefullness. Alderyn flew, Chichiri transported, Sei ran, and Ed rolled.**

_Xemnas and Sephiroth paused at the foot of the hill, just near the rip. They were the only ones remaining.  
_

_"If we don't survive this..." Sephiroth began. He sighed. "...If this kills us, know that I'll love you forever."  
_

_"Same," Xemnas said. "Forever and a day." Hand in hand, the two jumped into the rip._

_For a moment Sephiroth thought he'd died. Then he opened his eyes and found himself in a plain of grass as white as the snow they'd just left behind. He stood and immediately looked around for Xemnas. He found him lying a few feet away.  
_

_"Xemnas!" Sephiroth raced over and gently picked him up. "Xemnas, love, wake up!" Xemnas blearily opened his eyes.  
_

_"Did we make it?" he asked hoarsely.  
_

_"I think so..." At that moment, a breeze smelling of peppermint washed across them. It was a warm breeze, highly unlike the cold winds of earlier._

**Alderyn blearily opened her eyes and saw...white... what else was new? She sat up and shook her head. She stared. It wasn't white snow, it was white grass. She looked at it closely then looked around for the others.**

_Xemnas and Sephiroth slowly stood, staring around in awe. The white grass stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted here and there with purple-centred flowers. A few trees, their bark slick, shiny, and silver, stood here and there, gleaming in the red sun._

_"We're here," said a voice behind them. They turned and saw Jynx standing there, gazing about raptly._

_"We've finally made it to Sidewalk's End," she said, grinning widely. And for once there was nothing sly or sarcastic or malicious in her smile; it was a normal smile. "We ought to find the others," she said._

**"Wow,Jynx." Alderyn breathed out looking at everything. "YOu were right. This place is cool." She stood and stretched her wings.**

_Jynx grinned smugly. "Of course it is," she said. "I wouldn't have spent the last decade of my life trying to reach it if it wasn't."_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth were ignoring them, too relieved they'd survived the trip through the rip. As if anyone expected them to do something else, they had started making out. Jynx glanced at them and smiled, shaking her head.  
_

_"So let's find the others, then," she said. She turned to Xemnas and Sephiroth again. "Hey, break it up! We have to find the others." Xemnas and Sephiroth parted with great reluctance.  
_

_"Damn," Sephiroth muttered under his breath. "Just when it was starting to get good..."_

**Alderyn looked around, not seeing their fellow idiots. "Well, how far could the hole thing of spewed us?" She asked unsure of what that thing could do.**

_Jynx gnawed at her lower lip, one fang peeking out._

_"I dunno... rips aren't my specialty," she said, somewhat worriedly. She looked around and stood, stretching her wings to their fullest extent. She turned to Alderyn. "I'd advise we take to the air, circle around some, and come back here. I can put something here to mark the spot. Like, a pillar of ice or something. A really shiny one."_

**"Hehe, shiny..." Alderyn muttered before nodding. "How about we fly in a circle with a 5 mile radius and come back if we can't find anything." She suggested even as she pondered how to keep in touch with the others.**

_"Works for me," Jynx said with a shrug. "Okay." She suddenly flew high into the air and looked down at them. She narrowed her eye and pointed at the ground. "Look out!" she shouted. The ground started to crack, and with little warning a massive spike of ice shot out of the ground and rocketed up towards her. For a moment it looked like it would skewer her, but she flew out of the way at the last minute. "There we go!"_

_She swooped down to Alderyn. "Shall we?"_

**Alderyn nodded and plucked three feathers. She flicked one to the bishies and one to Jynx. "Put a little magic in it if you find somehting, the others will hum when you do." She said and took off, her brown wings sweeping the air.**

_"Ta ta!" Jynx said, waving to Xemnas and Sephiroth before she too took off, flying in the opposite direction._

_Xemnas and Sephiroth looked at each other._

_"They left us alone," Xemnas said. "They left US alone." Sephiroth nodded, grinning evilly._

_"Do they really expect us to search for the other morons?" he said. Xemnas smirked and tackled Sephiroth, pushing him back into the grass._

**Alderyn methodically searched the espansive white of Side Walks End. And that was all she saw, white. She was beginning to hate the color. The girl bit her lip nervously wondering where the others were. She put a tight reign on her imagination, which if let to run free would concoct many...decidedly undelightful images about where the group was. She sighed in irritation and kept looking.**

_Jynx twitched oddly. "Somehow, I get the feeling something nifty is going on and I'm not there to see it." She shrugged and flew on, searching for the others._

_She winged towards the black shapes of mountains, scanning the ground for the telltale red of Ed's coat against the white grass. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she thought about how much time the dog demon spent with the alchemist and frowned. She shook her head and flew lower to the ground._

_-Elsewhere-_

_"Mmm... Xemnas..."_

_Sephiroth moaned slightly as Xemnas kissed his neck. Xemnas started moving lower, closer to Sephiroth's bare chest. Sephiroth panted slightly as Xemnas licked his collarbone. He shifted, arching his back slightly, moaning again. He pulled Xemnas into a rough kiss, burying his fingers in the other's hair. Sephiroth rolled Xemnas onto his back and pulled his shirt open, panting harshly. He kissed him hard, tasting every part of Xemnas' mouth. Xemnas moaned, hands clawing over Sephiroth's back._

_Fenrir landed a few feet behind_ _them. She raised an eyebrow. "Carry on, lads, carry on," she said idly. She took to the air in the direction Jynx had taken._

_They certainly did, even though they hadn't heard Fenrir's statement._

**Brown wings flapped in irratation as she landed on a rather large rock. She had found nothing, yet. Nothing. And worry was beginning to gnaw at her stomach. Where could they be? No one knew the lay of the land here and the three could be anywhere. She took off to search again with a sigh.**

_Fenrir winged towards the moving speck in the sky. Abruptly it stopped and hovered. Fenrir frowned and flew towards it._

_"Jynx?" she called. "Jynx, is that you?" The shape suddenly sped towards her. In a matter of minutes it became clear the thing was not Jynx. "Ah shit."_

_The thing was a large brown and gold eagle, far larger than any Fenrir'd ever seen, larger than an elephant. Fenrir stared at its wickedly curving beak and massive talons. It was a roc._

**Alderyn flapped dejectedly back towards the sparkly ice. Even the sparklyness couldn't take her mind off her worry. She wanted her Chichiri, her chibi Chichiri. She pouted as she turned downward towards Seph and Xenmas.**

_The two were fast asleep, curled together in the grass, arms wrapped around each other... and totally naked. Sephiroth's face was still flushed slightly. One of them had had the presence of mind to cover with someone's shirt._

**Alderyn shook her head at the two. "Ah, young love..." She grumbled and went to sit atop the ice. She pulled out a book, not really reading it.**

_"'Elp! Oi'm bein' pursued!"_

_Fenrir shot towards them and crashed straight into the pillar._

_"Merde!"_

_Jynx, carrying Sei, Ed, and Chichiri, flew towards them. Jynx hastily dropped the three and almost hit Alderyn._

_"There's a big fucking bird chasing after us! It's a goddamn roc and it wants blood!" she cried._

**Alderyn's eyes widened and she scrambled to catch the falling people. She only managed to grab Chichiri though. Sei and Ed tumbled down the side of the ice.**

_Fenrir, unnoticed by mostly everyone, toppled down and landed almost on top of Xemnas and Sephiroth. She groaned._

_Jynx made a less than graceful landing and doubled over, gasping harshly. "I think... I got too... close to... its territory... we still are..." she panted. She caught her breath before continuing. "We have to get out of here. Now." She glanced at Xemnas and Sephiroth. "Someone wake the lovebirds already and get them decent!"_

**Ed and Sei grumbled as they landed with a plop. Aldery flew Chichiri down and went over to the sleeping two. She let out a loud screech, an ear shattering screech. It was directed right at the ears of the sleeping bishies.**

_Sephiroth and Xemnas yelped loudly and sat up, cracking their heads together. Sephiroth groaned and rubbed the top of his head, having collided with Xemnas' jaw. Xemnas rubbed his jaw and worked it back and forth. Realizing they had an audience, the two hastily attempted to cover themselves from the stares of certain straight girls still sitting on the pillar._

_"Enough modesty," Jynx snapped, glaring at them. "We have an extremely pissed-off roc behind us, and we're still in its territory. We have to haul ass, idiots!"_

**"Where are we going to go?" Alderyn asked sliding her swords from their sheaths. If the roc wouldn't leave them alone, she'd make it. "WE don't know what is here or where things are."**

_"You all may not, but I do."_

_Jynx's eye widened. She spun around and gave a joyful cry._

_"Jiin-chan!" she cried, running towards the newcomer. The newcomer was tall and sturdily built, nowhere near as thin as Jynx. The others blinked at her. She was the exact opposite of Jynx in terms of colouration and was even missing the opposite eye. She wore a dark coloured cheong-sam and loose fitting kung-fu pants. Her tail, very thin, flicked back and forth behind her. Jynx crashed into her, hugging her tight. "Jiin-chan, konnichiwa! I missed you!"_

**"And thus the group gets anolther crazy to add to the fun." Alderyn muttered sarcastically, her eyes roving the skies for the roc.**

_"Jiin-chan, Jiin-chan, Jiin-chan!" Jynx sang, clinging to Jiin, who smiled._

_"Okay, koibito, I missed you too," she replied, hugging Jynx. "Did you all say something about a roc?" she asked as Jynx moved to cling to her arm._

_"Yeah," Fenrir said. "Apparently some of us got into its territory and it's still pissed. We need to get out of here, but we don't know where." Jiin shrugged._

_"I know where we can go," she said. "There's a castle over to the east, towards the sun. It's far from any rocs or other nasties."_

**"Why do we always end up in castles." Sei said, thinking out loud.**

_"Who cares, so long as it's safe?" Fenrir growled. She chanced a glance at Xemnas and Sephiroth, and to her relief the two had, though not quite fully dressed (they'd left their shirts open), covered the essentials. "How can we take the non-winged ones?" she asked. "Only three of us have wings."_

_"Four," Jiin corrected. A pair of formidable wings opened from her back. Her wings were, of course, identical to Jynx's, but were black with orange pinions. "Four of us with wings."_

**"Since Ed and Sei are short," Alderyn went on after the grumblings of the said midgets ceased."They can count as one person and someone can take both of them.I'll take Chichiri and the other two can sort it out."**

_"I'll take Sei and Ed," Fenrir said, rustling her wings._

_"That leaves us with Xemnas and Sephiroth," Jiin said to Jynx. "Your wings are stronger than mine. I'll take Sephiroth." Jynx nodded and grabbed Xemnas._

_"Hang on," she said. With a powerful flap of her wings she took to the skies, Jiin and Fenrir close behind. "Jiin, lead the way." Jiin dipped her wings and flew to the front. Fenrir turned her head._

_"Ah shit!" she swore. "Roc at six o'clock! Faster, you fools!" Panicking slightly, everyone sped up._

**A chibi Chichiri hung to Alderyn's shirt. He let out a loud 'Daaa' as Alderyn sped up. The girl thought longingly of her swords, wishing to have the comforting metal in her hands though the warm bishie wasn't so bad.**

_The roc behind them let out an earsplitting screech. Fenrir, Jynx, and Jiin all flattened their ears, wincing. Jynx turned her head and glared at the bird. Ice encased the bird's beak, preventing it from making noise. Jynx grinned evilly._

_"Almost there!" Jiin called. "We're out of the roc's territory, now. We should be at the castle soon."_

**Sei and Ed clung to Fenrir with deathholds. Their eyes were wide with fear.**

_The group flew over the crest of a large hill, winging over a silver, mirror-smooth lake towards a large marble castle. The black marble shone in the sun, gleaming as they approached. The towers, tall and spiked, reared against the sky, seeming to impale the horizon. As they drew nearer, Jynx could see gargoyles flanking the entrance and hanging from several corners. She whistled appreciatively._

**"Pretty." Alderyn said gazing at the interesting archetecture. Chichiri daa'ed in agreement.**

_Everyone dropped their respective passengers and set off to explore the castle. Jynx and Jiin immediately winged to the towers, Fenrir, Sei, and Ed explored the general area, and Xemnas and Sephiroth did what everyone expected them to do: each other. _

_"This place is huge," Jynx said, flying up to a gargoyle and staring into its mouth. "Raaah."_

_"Sure is. I found it the other day, just exploring," Jiin replied, shaking her head._

_"How'd you get here anyway?" the other asked._

**Alderyn beelined to where ever she sensed large amounts of paper. Her goal was a library, hopefully one with many many old books. Chichiri was dragged along.**

_"Through the rip," Jiin replied simply. "Remember when we were little and we found that first one?" Jynx nodded. "We ran away, but I went back later that night. I went through, and couldn't find my way back." Jynx landed and sat on a gargoyle._

_"Why didn't you bring me along?" she asked, crossing her arms._

_"Because I knew you wouldn't go. You were too scared then, and you didn't know what the rip was," Jiin answered. Jynx frowned. Jiin landed behind her and hugged her. After a moment Jynx relaxed and leaned against her._

_Sephiroth pulled away, opening his eyes. Xemnas smiled with him, arms wrapped around his waist._

_"So many close calls, huh?" he murmured. Sephiroth chuckled._

_"First there was the rip, then the roc... this place is dangerous," he replied, grinning. He thought he knew where Xemnas' mind was going._

_"Suppose we get killed tomorrow? We'd better make tonight last as long as possible," Xemnas said in mock alarm. "Right, love?" Sephiroth smiled suggestively._

_The two set off through the_ _castle, noting how it had the appropriate number of bedrooms, unlike Urquhart. The two ended up in a large room, not unlike Fenrir's, with a fine balcony and French doors. Xemnas crossed over to them and opened them. The peppermint breeze swept into the room, sending the curtains billowing. Xemnas turned to Sephiroth._

_"I rather like this room," he said. Sephiroth nodded and walked over to him._

_"So do I." He grinned again and took hold of Xemnas' shirt. He pulled him into a strong kiss, allowing Xemnas to push towards the bed._

_Xemnas pulled away from Sephiroth as they fell onto the bed. Sephiroth reached up and thumbed his lover's lips for a moment._

_"This place is a lot more dangerous than back home," he murmured. "I mean, with Fenrir and the others running around, Urquhart wasn't exactly safe, but..."_

_"I know what you mean," Xemnas said. "Despite its candy-coated appearance, it has its dangers. The rocs least of all, I imagine." Sephiroth nodded and pulled Xemnas into a long kiss._

_Meanwhile, Jynx gave a now familiar twitch._

_"Hey Jiin... guess what," she said. Jiin blinked._

_"Chicken butt?" she said. Jynx made a face._

_"No. I sense yaoi!" Jiin's eye lit._

_"Oh boy! Let's go see!" she said gleefully. The two flew down from the gargoyle and landed on the balcony outside Xemnas and Sephiroth's room. They pressed their faces to the window._

_"Oooo..." they said in unison._

_As he turned his head slightly, Xemnas moving to bite his ear, Sephiroth saw the two. He sighed to himself and thought, 'Might as well give them a good show.'_

_Jynx and Jiin cheered as things started to heat up. Meanwhile, Fenrir, Sei, and Ed were wandering the lower levels of the castle in search of an oubliette._

_"Fenrir, I'm not sure this place has one," Ed said for the millionth time._

_"Of course it does!" Fenrir insisted. "All good castles do!" Sei and Ed sighed as they trailed after the crazy demon._

_"Damn, those two don't hold back, do they?" Jiin asked. "Your doing?"_

_Jynx nodded. "Oui. I have a good eye, huh?" Jiin nodded enthusiastically._

_The topic of their conversation, the two bishies screwing on the bed, really had no idea they were being watched. Sephiroth, though he'd seen them at the window, had utterly forgotten they were there for obvious reasons. Xemnas hadn't seen them in the first place. Sephiroth gasped and moaned suddenly as Xemnas nipped his skin over his collarbone. Another moan clawed its way out of his throat, and he arched his back, pressing his hips against Xemnas'. Xemnas' hands roved over Sephiroth's sides, driving Sephiroth mad. His fingers dragged over Xemnas' arm, leaving marks. Jynx and Jiin cheered again._

_For a moment it seemed Xemnas sensed they were there, but he quickly forgot about them in favour of exploring Sephiroth further. His hand wandered along Sephiroth's stomach. Sephiroth's muscles tensed involuntarily as he moaned again._

_"How often do those two do it?" Jiin asked incredulously. Jynx shook her head._

_"Often. This is the second time today, methinks," she replied. "Considering their state of... undress... earlier."_

_Jiin nodded. "And how many times since you got them together?"_

_"God only knows."_

_"...What I'd be without you?"_

_"If you should ever leave me, well life would still go on, believe me?"_

_"Okay, enough Beach Boys."_

-End

Jynx: ACK! Too much… ((Falls over))


	22. Chapter 17

**Alderyn walked down the halls, a cat-like grin on her face. In her arms she had various manuscripts and rather old looking books balanced. Beside her Chichiri was also carrying some his pile much larger than her own. Everyonce in a while a high pitched 'daaa' came from the man as he balanced his load carefully.**

_Jynx and Jiin, having returned to the gargoyle, were for a moment quiet. Then a wicked grin spread across Jynx's face._

_"Hey Jiin... I've had a brilliant idea," she said. She whispered something in Jiin's ear, and Jiin grinned too._

_"Oh, indeed you should!" she said. The two giggled maniacally._

**The two book laden people turned a corner and saw the giggling duo. **

"Umm, I think we should be scared." Alderyn said in an offhand way looking towards CHichiri. The man nodded and they both turned on their heels and shot away from the troublemakers.

_"Okay, here goes nothing!" Jynx said, taking a deep breath. She closed her eye for a moment. Jiin watched as the blue receded from her hair. Her ears moved to where they'd be on a normal human, and then warped, turning long and pointed. Her skin went through several shades of grey, each darker than the last, and finally turned black as her tail disappeared abruptly. When she opened her eye, it was still red, but the pupil looked normal. She pulled away her eyepatch and revealed Charon's eye to be identical to her other eye. Her wings disappeared as well. She grinned at Jiin. "Now let's go bug the others!"_

**Alderyn and Chichiri had found a living room where the dog demon and shrimp lazed. The two had taken over a couch and spread there findings out. They read as the other two watched tv.**

_Fenrir trudged into the room a moment later, looking sullen._

_"No oubliette," she grumbled. Jiin entered as she spoke._

_"Anyone seen Jynx?" she asked._

_"Misplaced 'er, 'ave ya?" Fenrir growled_.

**"You and her were giggling about something earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of you have something up your sleeves." Alderyn muttered from her spot on the couch. She didn't look up from the dusty scroll she was reading. CHichiri stayed tactfully quiet his own eyes perusing a book.**

_Jiin shrugged. "I know. She went off to do something and I don't know where she went. She doesn't know this place very well, and..." She trailed off._

_"Bonjour, mon ami!"_

_Everyone turned. Fenrir's jaw dropped, though she recovered quickly as she stared at the drow standing in the doorway. The drow was leaning casually on the doorframe, and... was exactly Jynx's height and build. There was something familiar about that grin, too..._

_"Who the hell are you?" Sei snapped, sitting up. She obviously didn't notice the startling similarities to the AWOL cat demon._

_The drow cocked her head, grinning a weirdly familiar half-grin. "Don't recognize me?" she asked._

**Alderyn looked at the drow with her eyebrow raised. **

"Bounjour, Madamoiselle. Ca va ce soir?" She asked the drow in french.

_The drow shrugged. "Non mauvais. Nous tout l'amour étant regardé fixement par les gens qui doivent nous connaître, non?" she replied. "But enough French for now. None of you recognize me?" She cracked up laughing._

**Alderyn let out a small laughed and closed her book. She waited to see what the others would do. CHichiri watched silently his mask not showing any other emotion than the smiling face.**

_Fenrir's eyes widened abruptly. She stifled a gust of laughter in her sleeve and looked to Sei and Ed, who still looked confused._

_"The hell?" Everyone turned to see Xemnas and Sephiroth entering. "Who's that?"_

_"Mon dieu!" With that the drow toppled over laughing. Something about her laugh struck the two as familiar._

_"Jynx?" Xemnas said tentatively._

_"We have a winnah!" the drow shouted like a game show host. Everyone's jaw dropped._

**Alderyn laughed at the others expressions. **

"Ne, Jynx, that was good, I have to admit." The bird girl said between her laughter.

_Jynx bowed to them with a grin. "I am a metamorph, remember?" she said. "Fenny said so the day I showed up at Urquhart."_

_"I betcha can't fly anymore," Sei said smugly, still annoyed she'd been so easily duped. Jynx grinned and wagged a finger at her._

_"I could get my wings back if I wanted. And besides, drow can levitate naturally," she sneered. "And they can do this." With that she trapped Sei in a globe of darkness_.

**The others laughed. **

"Jynx, that a little mean, No Da. Sei's just naturally stupid." CHichiri said, going chibi and running over to the drow-Jynx.

_Jynx shrugged. "And that means what to me?" she asked. "She can get out. All she has to do is walk out." With that Sei stepped out of the darkness with a surprised look on her face. Jynx stared at one black hand. "I think I like being a drow. I'm staying this way!" she announced. Sei groaned. She hadn't really liked being trapped in the dark._

_Fenrir opened her mouth to say something in reply, but instead a loud buzzing filled the room. Jynx looked around._

_"What the hell's that? The mosquito from hell? Beelzebub's minion?" she said._

_For answer a large horsefly flew past her face. She shouted something and tried to smack it between her hands. She stood for a moment with her hands together._

_"Did I get it?" she asked._

**Sei's ear twitched and she let out a shriek. **

"There's your answer." Alderyn said and threw a dagger at the buzzing black dot. It missed and nearly sliced off Sei's ear.

_"You maniac!" Sei screeched, clapping a hand to her ear. Fenrir attempted to conjure the fly to kill it, but it resisted her efforts and buzzed harmlessly away. She frowned._

_It made a bee- er, fly-line straight for Sephiroth. He swung his hand at it and swatted it across the room. It bounced off the wall with an odd buzz and dizzily flew away._

**Chichiri ran after it with his monks staff. The blue haired man was still chibified and a loud war cry of 'Daaaaaa' came from his mouth.**

_"Look out, chibi-midget with a stick!" Jynx yelled in mock distress. The fly seemed to understand her and buzzed away in an almost panicked fashion. Jynx blinked. "You know, I do believe that fly understood me."_

**CHichiri paid not heed. He kept right after it until Ed got in his way. THe chibi stumbled over the blonde and landed with a strangled 'noda' against the wall. Alderyn got up quickly and went o check the crying chibi-monk. He bounced into her lap, telling he about the evil chibi-shrimp that tripped him.**

_Ed glared at him and was inches from giving his rant when the fly landed on his head._

_"Yaaaah! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!" he cried, running around in circles._

**Sei pounced at Ed. She grabbed onto his shoulders and swatted at the fly. It buzzed easily away from her. Ed and Sei fell down with a crash knocking over a table.**

_The fly was headed straight for Xemnas and Sephiroth, flying at them with a single-minded intensity._

_"Did you know horseflies sting?" Jiin remarked offhandedly. She had carefully been ignoring the fly up until now._

_"What!" Sephiroth and Xemnas cried in unison. They ducked the fly, Xemnas waving his hand at it._

**Alderyn looked up from comforting Chichiri. "I thought they bit?" She asked thoughtfully.**

_Jiin shrugged. "Sting, bite, amounts to the same thing, doesn't it?" she asked. "But you know... they don't have teeth. They sting."_

_"Who cares, just kill the damn thing!" Fenrir snapped, conjuring a rather large fly swatter. The horsefly buzzed and flew at Jynx._

_"Oh, no, you don't!" she said, swinging at it._

**Alderyn flipped another dagger around her hand. She was ready to throw it if the fly came within her range. Unfortuantely for the others she had just began learning the art of throwing daggers. She hadn't had much practice.**

_The fly landed right on Jynx's forehead and buzzed at her. She cocked her head and buzzed back. They continued buzzing at her._

_"She speaks fly?" Fenrir asked doubtfully._

_"I think drow are particularly good at languages," Jiin answered._

**Alderyn twitched slightly. The buzzing was annoying."Jynx what's it a saying?" She asked her tone slightly annoyed**.

_Jynx stopped buzzing and looked at her. "You're not gonna believe this, but it says it's Stitch!" she replied incredulously._

**"What?" THey all chroused toegther and stared at Jynx with disbelief. **

"How could that fly be Stitch" Sei asked confused.

_She shrugged. "Told you you wouldn't believe it," she said matter-of-factly. "He says it happened in the rip. He says... hold on... the rip didn't know what to do with him, since he's an alien and not from Earth... and it didn't like that since it was a pocket dimensional rip of Earth and Earth only... so it turned him into something native to Earth." She looked at the others._

**"A fly..." Alderyn said. "It kinda suits him...maybe?" She was unsure. THe rip seemed to have a sense of humor.**

_Jynx shrugged. "Anything we can do?" she asked, looking to all the mages. _

_"You're the metamorph," Fenrir said._

_"I can only change myself, dummy." Jynx stuck her tongue out at Fenrir. "Alderyn, how about it? Anything we can do?"_

**"I can try but I'm not sure how effective I'll be. I mean I'm not the alien type. That's more Bat;s style." She said and looked at the fly Stitch. She ran thruogh her mind what she would try.**

_The fly landed on the upturned table and began cleaning itself, seemingly oblivious to the others wondering what they would do to it. Jynx was wondering if a dark elf had anything it could do and Fenrir already knew her magicks would be no good._

**Alderyn went over and cupped Stitch in her hands. "I'll take him to the library and see what I can do." She said and turned to walk towards the library.**

"_Until then... Soul Calibur three or We Love Katamari?" Fenrir asked, noticing the PS2 console._

_"Na naa... na na naa na naa na naa naaa na na naa, Katamari Damacy!" the others sang, gathering around. Jynx perched on the back of the couch with Jiin sitting against her legs, Sei simply sat on the floor with Ed, and Sephiroth sat in Xemnas' lap._

**An angry shout shook the walls of the castle. It was the third one in an hour. In the living room the group sat seemingly unconcerned. **

"I think she messed up again, No Da" CHichiri stated as he meditated on the ground.

_"Ya think?" Jynx replied, rolling up Sephiroth's katamari.  
_

_"Dammit," the other swore, trying to get away.  
_

_"Suppose she never gets the right spell?" Jiin asked offhandedly. Jynx glanced at her.  
_

_"Um... then we have a bug for a pet instead of a little blue alien," she replied with a shrug._

**Sei pouted. "But I don't like bugs!" She said grumpily.**

_"Too bad," Sephiroth growled, handing the controller to Xemnas. (He'd lost.)  
_

_"Wonder what she's up to?" Fenrir remarked._

**"Probably mixing highly volatile chemicals and using sharp objects to prod Stitch, No Da." Chichiri said still not moving from his medatative position.**

_Jynx and Fenrir exchanged horrified glances. Jynx handed the controller to Jiin and vaulted over the back of the sofa, followed by Fenrir. The two raced out of the room.  
_

_"All right!" Jiin said, stealing her spot and rolling over Xemnas, much to his annoyance._

**Inside the library Alderyn was muttering curses in Gealic. Her back was to the door and to the side one hand flipped rantically through a large volume.**

_Jynx and Fenrir cautiously poked their heads around the door.  
_

_"Alderyn? Whatcha doin'? How's Stitch?" Jynx asked loudly_

**Alderyn shook her head in frustration and moved aside so that the two could see. On the table sat one ver fluffy very confused and very blue lemur.**

_Fenrir raised an eyebrow.  
_

_"A lemur," she said. "Well, at least he's no longer an insect."  
_

_"But he naturally has six limbs. How do we know he wasn't already one?" Jynx argued._

**"He's been a toad, a blue toad and a parrot, he almost peirced my ear with his beak. I can't get his stupid alien body to work out right." Alderyn mumbled angrily. Her eyes hardened. "But I will." She said a note of inality in her voice. Stitch gulped and sent a pleading look to the other two.**

_Jynx and Fenrir exchanged worried looks.  
_

_"Maybe we should help," Fenrir said. The two headed into the room.  
_

_Moments later the gamers heard another loud bang, followed by a colourful French curse or two.  
_

_"Sounds like things aren't working out," Xemnas remarked, surrendering the controller to Sei. (He too had lost.)_

**Alderyn's eye twitched. She glared at the other two. "He's and alien not a dinosour." She growled. "And I have everything under control here. It shouldn't take me much longer to get it right."**

_Fenrir conjured a book. "This came from Urquhart and has something about alien bodies and incompatible worlds," she said. "It's in Gaelic, and I can't read it. If it were Nordic runes, sure, but..." She stared muttering to herself._

**Alderyn's eyes lit up at the mention of Gealic. She happily snatched the book and began reading. She muttered to herself as she read. Of course her mutterings were also in Gealic.**

_Jynx and Fenrir exchanged looks. They sat down in a chair and teased Stitch, now a bright blue velociraptor._

_-End_

Jynx: I dun like this ending. It bothers me. I dun like it. XP


	23. Special Insert: Big Ten Inch

Jynx: Oh boy, another special insert! X3

-Special Insert: Big Ten Inch-

One morning, Jynx and Jiin sat at the table in the living room playing cards. It was the morning after Jynx and the others arrived in Sidewalk's End and the large castle they'd taken to calling home. Jynx was still parading as a drow.

"Mmm… non, go fish," Jynx said.

"Shimata…" Jiin growled. Just then Sephiroth limped into the room. Jynx and Jiin watched as he gently sat in a free chair, rather than flop into it as usual. The drow and the cat demon exchanged looks.

"Bonjour, Sephiroth," Jynx said. "Something amiss?"

Sephiroth winced. "I'll just say this: big ten inch," he said. He rubbed his nose abruptly and brought his hand away red.

"Pretty dry around here, isn't it?" Jiin said slyly. Sephiroth didn't catch the double meaning of her words.

"Dammit," he swore. "I never had any trouble at Urquhart."

"Not so dry, mon ami."

Sephiroth shrugged and held a tissue to his nose. Just when he thought the nosebleed had stopped, Xemnas, sans shirt and wearing rather tight low-cut pants, wandered into the room, looking half asleep. He flopped down next to Jynx and stretched, unintentionally showing off.

Sephiroth's eyes widened and his nosebleed started anew.

"Clever, Xemnas," Jynx said, grinning. "At this rate Sephiroth's gonna lose all the blood in his body."

Xemnas cocked his head and glanced at Sephiroth, who, face bright red, was determinedly not looking at Xemnas as he held the tissue to his nose. Xemnas grinned. He whispered something in Jynx's ear.

"Mon dieu! You are a very evil person, monsieur!" Jynx said, grinning her trademark evil grin. Somehow it looked much more sinister on a drow's face. She stood up and motioned to Jiin. She informed her of Xemnas' plan through telepathy and the two left the room.

Xemnas smirked.

Sephiroth glanced at him as he sighed and stretched again. His eyes widened, watching Xemnas' muscles shifting marvelously under his skin… He swallowed hard. No, he wasn't going to give in. Especially since he was still sore from the previous night… But Xemnas was positively delightful to… Fuck, why did Xemnas have to always look so damn seductive?

As if to prove Sephiroth's thoughts, Xemnas stretched out on the couch on his back, facing Sephiroth and staring at him through half-lidded eyes. It was as if he was saying, 'Come and get me.'

With a loud swear Sephiroth practically threw himself at Xemnas. They started making out enthusiastically.

"As if those two need any incentive," Jynx muttered, her and Jiin watching through one of those infamous crystals.

-End special insert-

Jynx: X3 This resulted from a silly doodle I did once involving Sephiroth, Xemnas, and Jynx. It was basically the same as this, except Jynx and Seph were just talking about something when Xemnas walked by.

Fenrir: Dummy.


	24. Chapter 18

_"Mmm, Xemnas..."  
_

_"Sephiroth, keep it up..."  
_

_Jiin raised an eyebrow. "Jynx was right, they DO do it a lot," she remarked. At that thought she started wondering where her currently-drow-formed girlfriend had gone. "She's missing good yaoi." Of course that took her mind off Jynx and back to Xemnas and Sephiroth. They certainly were... active.  
_

_"HOLEH SHITS, WE'VE DONE IT!"_

**Sei paced around the castle, completely and utterly bored. She couldn't find anything to keep herself occupied and none of the others were around to bug.**

_Jiin cast one last look at Xemnas and Sephiroth, and disappeared with a swirl of dust. She reappeared in the main room of the castle to find an insufferably smug-looking Jynx and Fenrir. Fenrir was grinning maddeningly and Jynx had a distinctive smirk stamped across her drow features.  
_

_"What have you done?" Jiin asked warily.  
_

_"We figured out how to make a permanent rip in this world that connects to our world back home!" Fenrir announced brightly. "We'll be able to come here whenever we like!"  
_

_"It's an amazingly simple thing," Jynx said thoughtfully. "I wonder why I never came across this before."  
_

_"Probably because you never looked," Jiin said. "How do you know this will work?"  
_

_"Just because," Jynx and Fenrir said in unison, sticking their tongues out at Jiin. They scampered off to tell more about their discovery._

**At the other end of the castle a yell of triumph echoed. Alderyn burst from the library door a normal Stitch held high above her.**

_"You've done it!" Fenrir yelled as she and Jynx came running up. "'Tis a day of magical achievements and I mean that literally!"  
_

_"As literally as can be!" Jynx sang as she approached._

**"And that means?" Alderyn still held a somewhat dizzy looking stitch above her.**

_"We found a way to make a permanent rip to this world!" the two, speaking in turns. "All it takes is a little luck, a little teleportation spell, and something very very sharp!"  
_

_"Deceptively simple," Jynx said.  
_

_"Indeed," Fenrir replied, nodding.  
_

_"So simple in fact..."  
_

_"It applies to the theory of Ockham's Razor..."  
_

_"The simplest theory is the best."_

**"What's the something sharp for?" Alderyn asked and held on tighter to a struggling Stitch.**

_"Well, we need something to make the rip with, don't we?"_

**"Ah." The girl nodded in understanding. She let out a small yelp as Stitch bit her finger. She glared at the blue alien that walked towards Jynx. "That's some thanks." She muttered angrily.**

_"And that's Stitch for you," Jynx said as Stitch climbed up her back and sat on her shoulders. He began contentedly chewing her hair.  
_

_"Where shall we put the rip?" Fenrir asked._

**"Hmmm.. maybe in the front hall?" Alderyn suggested.**

_Fenrir and Jynx shrugged. "Works for us," they said. With that they turned and ran away, Stitch clinging determinedly to Jynx's shoulder.  
_

_On the way to the front hall, they blew past Jiin who cried, "What the hell?" as they nearly knocked her over.  
_

_"Come on, Jiin! We're setting up the rip in the front hall!" Jynx called. The cat demon shrugged and raced after them.  
_

_"Should we find the others?" Jiin asked.  
_

_"I dunno 'bout Chichiri, Sei, and Ed, but Alderyn was back by the library. Xem and Seph are off screwing," Jynx said. "As if they do anything else..."_

**Ed and Sei were just coming out of the kitchen. Both had full trays of food in their hands. They were on their way to the living room. They had somehow gotten into an argument about who could eat the most without puking. The loser had to drink milk.**

_Fenrir and Jynx passed them, stared for a moment, and shook their heads. They continued on and started setting up for the rip.  
_

_"Insert tab A into slot B..." Jynx said, holding up an imaginary instruction sheet.  
_

_"Ha ha, Jynx. Get your metamorphing ass over here," Fenrir growled.  
_

_"Where's Jiin?"  
_

_"Finding the others."  
_

_"Damn, it'll kill her to interrupt Xem and Seph..." Fenrir shrugged._

**Alderyn's wings flapped a little as she walked down the hall. Her nose was buried deep within a thick volume on serial killers minds. Such an interesting topic really. Especially when you got to the motive. She brought her head up when she felt a change in atmosphere and her eyebrow rose. The stonework was different... She looked around and then took a step back and turned around. Hmm the stonework changed back. She faced forward again and looked quizzically at what could only be the new rift.**

_"Behold, the permanent rift that'll take us to Urquhart and back!" came a voice behind her. Jynx and Fenrir stood there, grinning smugly. Somehow Jynx's grin was far more insufferable on the face of a drow.  
_

_"The others have gone on ahead already. Go ahead, it's safe. We're just here to make sure everything works properly and no limbs are left behind," Jynx said._

**Alderyn nodded and timidly poked the edge of the rift. It blurred around her finger and returned to normal when her finger was pulled back. "Cool, you guys are quite talented." She told them.**

_"Well, duh," Jynx said. She grinned. "After you, mademoiselle."_

**Alderyn walked in and smiled as she found herself in Urquhart. It was good to be home. She grimaced slightly at the thought of everyone getting here before her. They could have gone through her stuff... At the thought she took off towards her room ready to take inventory.**

_Jynx and Fenrir went through at the same time. Fenrir went down to the oubliette and Jynx went to track down Jiin._

_Not long after that (roughly a week) Jynx was winging over the loch, bringing dire news indeed. She was returning from a trip into Inverness, temporarily disguised as a black-haired girl with pointed ears and yellow eyes, and was shifting back to her cat demon form (she'd tired of the drow form the previous day). She'd heard things that had not sat well with her, and went to investigate. Unfortunately, these things proved to be true.  
_

_"I hope the others won't overreact to this," she said aloud._

**"Sei get back here now!" A yell erupted that echoed through not only the Castle Urquhart but also through the rift and in Sidewalk's end. The little dog demon ran her eyes wide with fear down the halls of the castle. She really didn't care which castle she was in at the moment. All that mattered was getting away from the crazed bird demon that was chasing her. Honestly what had made Alderyn so upset? All Sei had done was spill a little water. It wasn't her fault that the girl's protfolio was in the way of the water.**

_Upon landing, Jynx was nearly bowled over by Sei and then Alderyn. As the bird demon passed, Jynx snagged her collar._

**"Gaaaargh." Alderyn choked out and glared at the deomon who held her collar. "Let me at her. She is seriously dead this time." She growled and tried to run after Sei.**

_"What would you say if I told you a zombie horde is on its incredibly persistant way North and we are right in its path?" Jynx said, dead serious for a change._

**Alderyn blinked for a moment and took in this information. "I'd say that we better stock up on salt."**

_"They're not slugs, Alderyn!" Jynx snapped, shaking her slightly. "They're zombies! Vicious, blood-thirsty, brain-munching zombies, and they're headed our way!"  
_

_"What's this now?"  
_

_Jynx looked up to see Sephiroth approaching.  
_

_"Hmph, not glued to Xemnas for a change," she growled. "There's a zombie horde on the move and they're coming straight for us." She shifted her attention to Alderyn again. "What are these castle's defenses against a zombie outbreak?"_

**"This castle was built for keeping out scottish highlanders in kilts out not these brain munching zombies your talking about." She told her. "And I though salt got rid of zombies..."**

_"Oh, that's just great," Jynx growled. "And these are necromantic zombies. A little salt isn't going to do any good whatsoever. We have to destroy the heart or the head. Or... If the rest of you keep me from getting too hurt, I can find the necromancer, kill him or her, and thus eliminate the horde."  
_

_"How big is a horde?" Sephiroth asked cautiously. "Ten or fifteen?"  
_

_Jynx snorted. "More like ten or fifteen hundred."  
_

_Sephiroth's jaw dropped._

**"Where would the necromancer be?" The bird demon asked curiously. "And why would he be sending zombies our way?"**

_"Hell if I know," Jynx said irritably. "It's possible the necro's sending the zombies north for some reason and we're in the line of fire." She looked at them. "Do any of us here besides me know how to fight zombies?"_

**Alderyn shook her head. "I've only dealt with killing living things." She said and thought a moment. "Chiri hasn't fought zombies before, I'm sure. Dun know about Ed and Sei though."**

_Jynx swore. She turned to Sephiroth. "Please say you have."  
_

_He shook his head.  
_

_"Xemnas?"  
_

_"Even if he has, he wouldn't remember it. He lost his memory some time ago and to my knowledge hasn't gotten it back."  
_

_Jynx let fly a string of French curses. "I don't know about Jiin, since I've had no contact with her in years... Fenny has the weapon but not the experience... dammit." She went outside for a moment and came back ashen-faced.  
_

_"Looks like you're about to get some experience," she said. "Get the others up on the battlements with projectile weapons. Bows and the like. Flammable, please."_

**Alderyn mock saluted. "Aye Aye Captain." She said before turning sharply and flying off.**

_"The next person who doesn't take this seriously is going to get a serious ass-whuppin'," Jynx growled. She flew up to the battlements, where the others found her not too much later, loading a long Civil War era Kentuckian rifle.  
_

_"What's going on?" Fenrir asked.  
_

_"Everyone have a very sharp-edged weapon and some sort of flammable projectile weapon?" Jynx asked, ignoring her._

**The others looked at each other and held up various weaponry. Most didn't have anything flammable. Chiri only had his staff and Ed had his alchemy. Alderyn was outfitted with her throwing daggers and twin katanas.**

_Jynx swore. "Well, so long as we can behead them," she muttered. "Okay, for those of you that don't know, there is a horde of some fifteen hundred zombies headed our way. They're necromantic zombies, so if you guys can keep my body safe, I can get to the necromancer and kill whoever they are. I'll be using astral travel, so my intangibility won't apply. Keep me from taking any mortal blows and I'll be fine. Oh, and one more thing: Whatever you do, DON'T GET BITTEN. If you do, you'll turn into a zombie within forty-eight hours. I can stop it within the first twenty-four. After that, no promises. So just don't get bit. Clear?"_

_The group, paling in comparison to the fast approaching horde, made their way down to the grounds. Jynx handed her rifle to Xemnas.  
_

_"It's loaded and everything already. Only six shots, so make 'em count," she said. "When it's out of ammo, the butt is reinforced with steel plates. Use it like a club." Xemnas nodded. The gun was much lighter than he'd anticipated.  
_

_They quickly stood around Jynx, who put her back to the wall of the castle. She closed her eye, and magefrost enveloped her form. Jiin glanced at her.  
_

_"She's off. The magefrost will protect her somewhat, but it won't last forever," she said. "It'll last two hours, and then we'll have to be damn careful."  
_

_Fenrir gripped her Shaolin spade tightly, the ebony wood creaking in protest. She was deathly afraid of zombies; she always had been. She swallowed hard. Sephiroth and Xemnas stood close together, nearly touching. They glanced at each other, eyes meeting. They nodded._

_The horde soon crested a nearby hill and moved towards them. It was mildly impressive, seeing them moving so orderly. However, the effect was ruined by their rotting, decaying appearance. Occasionally a zombie would fall and be trampled by those behind it. The groans and cries that escaped their rotting throats and mouths made Fenrir shudder violently and flatten her ears against her head. She took a steadying breath and reminded herself she had one of the best possible weapons for fighting zombies; the spade combined the killing power of the katana with the reach of the halberd, and no one was better with one than Fenrir.  
_

_The inhabitants of Urquhart held their ground, not willing to rush the horde. The horde stopped a hundred yards from them, as if awaiting an order. Then, as one, the whole force moved forward on the attack.  
_

_"Let's get this show on the road, guys and gals," Jiin said, drawing twin Chinese swords and spinning them around her hands expertly._

_They waited until the zombies were very close, then Jiin twitched one sword. Xemnas raised the rifle and fired, the bullet taking out three zombies, one after the other, passing through their skulls. They groaned and fell over, soon trampled by the rest.  
_

_"Minie ball bullets," Jiin muttered. "Jynx, you think of everything." A further score of zombies were taken out by Xemnas and the rifle, though this barely made a dent in their numbers. One zombie strayed too close to Fenrir. She panicked and lashed out, slicing its head cleanly from its body.  
And with that the battle was joined._

_At first, the zombies fell like wheat under the scythe. Five hundred easy were destroyed within the first twenty minutes, most of them slain by Fenrir and Jiin. For a while, everyone stayed in their defensive cluster around Jynx. But soon they were separated, and only Fenrir and Jiin remained around Jynx's still form.  
_

_"This isn't good," Jiin said anxiously. "Did you notice how their attacks changed?" Fenrir nodded.  
_

_"It's like they suddenly got smarter and more desperate," she replied, beheading another zombie.  
_

_"I think Jynx found the necromancer," Jiin remarked, stabbing a zombie through the chest.  
_

_Sei, using a scimitar Ed created, was whirling like a dervish, lopping off zombie limbs and heads left and right; Ed kept well out of her way. Alderyn and Chichiri had their hands full, as Alderyn was the only one with a weapon suitable for zombie slaying. Xemnas was smashing open zombie heads like ripe melons, Sephiroth beheading zombies and managing to look like he was dancing while doing so._

_The zombies continued to fall, their tactics becoming more and more desperate and less intelligent. A group intended to mob Xemnas and Sephiroth and crush them, but the necromancer pulling the strings failed to take all of Sephiroth's seven-foot sword into account. They lost their heads in a single swing. Fenrir and Jiin were hard pressed to keep Jynx from being injured; Jiin fought like a madwoman, her mercenary upbringing coming to the fore and combining with a natural desire to protect Jynx, and Fenrir was using all the powers of darkness at her disposal, destroying zombies with the same wires of darkness Xemnas had been on the wrong end of once. Her spade was dripping with gore. The others, having less importance, were having an easier time of it than Jiin and Fenrir.  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth, however, were in trouble. The zombies had been ordered to go after them specifically, as they were the main obstacle between the horde and Fenrir and Jiin. The two were pressed against the wall. Sei and Ed didn't notice, too busy trying not to get bitten; Alderyn and Chichiri were the same. Fenrir and Jiin noticed, however. They couldn't go to help them, though._

_The zombie horde had dwindled rapidly to just a hundred. Twenty-five were attacking those the necromancer deemed of lesser importance, and the remaining seventy-five were attacking Xemnas and Sephiroth. For a moment, it seemed like they'd make it.  
_

_But then a zombie of a youngish man latched onto Sephiroth's shoulder.  
_

_Sephiroth let out a cry, realizing what had happened. Xemnas whipped around for a brief second, realizing the zombies would converge on Sephiroth and… he couldn't finish the thought. Rage blazed through him, and he viciously defended his fallen lover, first obliterating the zombie that had bitten Sephiroth, and then going after the rest. He stood protectively over Sephiroth, brandishing the rifle and using it as a club with frightening efficiency. The numbers of the zombies dropped by fifteen, and they were all beginning to tire. Fenrir's arms felt like lead, as did Jiin, Sei, and Alderyn's. Xemnas, though you wouldn't know it by looking at him, was tiring too._

_Abruptly there came the sound of ice cracking, and a sudden force raced across the area, blowing the zombies back at least thirty feet. This was fortunate indeed for Xemnas, who was almost bitten before the shock wave hit. Jiin and Fenrir turned as the zombies struggled to their feet.  
_

_"Jynx!" Jiin cried, eye lighting up with relief.  
_

_Jynx stood behind them, glowing with a queer aura. As she stepped forward, blue flames flickered below her feet before they froze abruptly. Jiin's eye widened.  
_

_"The Flames of Ice," she breathed. "Jynx... when did you master those?"  
_

_"Not too long ago," Jynx replied. "I couldn't defeat the necro. He was constantly moving. So I came back."  
"Good timing," Fenrir said. "We're running out of steam, Seph got bit--"  
_

_"What?" Jynx cried. She looked over at Sephiroth and Xemnas. Sephiroth was clutching his shoulder, a pained expression on his face. Jynx swore._

_She raced forward, frozen flames flickering as she ran onward. No weapon appeared in her hands but a sword shaped like a flame that steamed like ice in heat. Whirling the sword even faster than Jiin had, she went straight into the mass of zombies. They piled onto her, her lanky form disappearing under the rotting bodies. Jiin started to panic, and started to move forward. However, before she took three steps, the zombies were blown back as before, though this time they fell in pieces. One fell near enough to Alderyn for her to get a good look at it. The edges of the cuts were blackened and purplish, as if they'd been frostbitten. However, the cuts also had the appearance of being cauterized. She looked up at Jynx. Faint wisps of steam and smoke were emanating from her.  
_

_Sephiroth, having held out until then, slowly toppled forward, onto Xemnas.  
_

_"Sephiroth!" Xemnas cried. Within moments Jynx was there.  
_

_"Budge up, let me have a look," she snapped. She ripped away part of Sephiroth's shirt and grimaced._

_His shoulder was black and grey, looking like he'd contracted gangrene. His skin was cold and clammy to the touch. His breathing was faint, and only Jynx with her cat's hearing heard him.  
_

_"Dammit," she muttered. "Get him inside. Whatever zombie bit him was badly infectious. If I'm going to save him, I have to save him quick."  
_

_The group raced inside the castle. Not a one paid attention to the fact that all the zombies had been obliterated by Jynx's attack.  
_

_"Put him on the floor, there. Fenny, restrain him." No one questioned Jynx. After that display from earlier, no one was likely to, either. Fenrir conjured cords of darkness from the floor and tied down his wrists and ankles, making it impossible for him to move. Jynx looked up at Xemnas. "This may be hard for you to watch," she warned him. "Do you want to remain?"  
_

_"Of course," was all he said. Jynx nodded._

_She placed her hands on Sephiroth's injured shoulder, and magefrost surged up around her again. Almost immediately it receded, and Jynx's eye snapped open. The blackish parts of Sephiroth's shoulder were moving, swirling, heading towards Jynx's hands. At that instant, Sephiroth, still unconscious, tried to free his wrists, straining hard at the cords. The cords, not Fenrir's best thanks to her exhaustion, were weakening.  
_

_"Hold him down!" Jynx yelled. Chichiri, Xemnas, Alderyn, and Jiin moved forward and pinned his limbs down. Sephiroth's unconscious form continued to jerk around, his back arching so far everyone feared it would snap in half. Jynx glanced at Xemnas' face. He looked like he was fighting an intense inner battle. She resolved to end this quickly. To everyone's astonishment the black parts joined with the grey and surged at Jynx's hands. They were sucked into her palms as if her hands were sponges, and Jynx's already pale complexion went positively grey. She ripped her hands from Sephiroth's shoulders and backed against the wall, sinking to the floor and gasping for breath.  
_

_Sephiroth's shoulder had regained its normal colour, though still wounded._

_"What did she do?" Fenrir asked, looking at Jynx, whose face was pale and drawn, breathing ragged.  
_

_"She took the infection into herself," Jiin answered, lips thin. "Only she can do it. There's something about her physical or genetic makeup that allows her to take the deadliest diseases into her own body and destroy them within hours. This one always hits her hard. She'll be laid low for a few hours or so." She went over and put her arms around Jynx, who clung to her, shaking slightly.  
_

_"Xemnas," she gasped. "Put Seph... to bed..." A harsh shudder rocked her frame. "Bind the wound... it's nothing... now... he'll live, believe me..." She shuddered again and pressed closer to Jiin. "That thing had... it bad..." With that she passed out, collapsing against Jiin._

**Alderyn sent her a concerned look. "Is she going to be okay?" She asked and lightly went to poke her head but pulled back when she saw zombie goo on her finger. In fact she was covered in zombie as were most of the others. Her nose wrinkled in annoyance.**

_Jiin looked concernedly at Jynx. "She should be. Give her a few hours to fight off the infection and a long sleep. She'll wake up like nothing had happened, though her outlook on the world may be slightly grimmer for a few days," she replied. She looked askance at Alderyn and the others. "How on earth did you all manage to get so much zombie on you? I didn't."_

**"Zombie killing is messy, No Da" Chichiri said and went chibi shaking his arms. The goo flew at Jiin. Alderyn, Sei, and Ed laughed at the chibi man.**

_Jiin hastily teleported away to the rip. She felt more at home in Sidewalk's End, probably since she'd lived there most of her life. Carrying Jynx, she went into the room the two had claimed and laid Jynx on the bed. She watched her for a moment, then went out on the balcony and sat against the wall. Within moments she was asleep.  
_

_Xemnas had ignored all of this. Once the infection was gone from Sephiroth's body, the cords released completely. Xemnas gently lifted him and held him close, being careful of his injured shoulder. Unnoticed by the rest, he too went through the rip to Sidewalk's End and his and Sephiroth's room in the castle there.  
_

_Fenrir caused a distraction by flopping to the floor, sitting Indian-style, and falling dead asleep, the spell on her body casting itself._

**Alderyn turned to the others. "I think I'm going to take a shower..." She said and looked again at the distasteful state they were all in. She walked away and CHichiri teleported somewhere in his hat.**

_Xemnas bound Sephiroth's shoulder expertly, being careful not to hurt him. After a few minutes, Sephiroth awoke to find Xemnas watching him. He appeared to be nodding off in his chair.  
_

_"This happens a lot, doesn't it, love?" Sephiroth croaked, smiling. Xemnas jerked awake and looked at him. He moved forward abruptly and grabbed Sephiroth in a tight hug. Sephiroth winced slightly. "What happened, exactly?" he asked after a few minutes.  
_

_"Jynx took the infection into herself... or something like that," Xemnas answered, still not releasing Sephiroth. "Ask Jiin." Sephiroth nodded and rested his head on Xemnas' shoulder._

**Sei and Ed had run off fighting over who got the shower first. They left Fenrir alone out on the ground asleep.**

_The next morning, Xemnas, and Sephiroth, stepped through the rip. Xemnas had an arm around Sephiroth's waist, and Sephiroth had something of a death grip on Xemnas's shoulders with his good arm. His injured one was in a sling. They figured that, since everyone was in Urquhart, chances of getting food in Sidewalk's End were slim. They'd heard nothing from Jynx and Jiin and hadn't seen hide or hair of the two; they were beginning to worry.  
_

_"Hello! Anyone here?" Xemnas called. "Or did you all go to Sidewalk's End when we weren't looking?"_

**The sound of flapping wings echoed against the stones and Alderyn landed in front of them. She had a wide grin in place. "Glad to see you guys up and about. How's your shoulder Seph?"**

_Sephiroth touched it and made a wry face. "It's been better," he said rather lamely. "It hurts like hell." Xemnas rubbed his back.  
_

_"Have you guys seen Jynx and Jiin?" Xemnas asked as Sephiroth leaned against him._

**Alderyn shook her head. "No, but I made pancakes!" She said cheerfully. They're in the kitchen with everyone else. Be careful though. Sei and Ed are in a fight...Again."**

_Xemnas and Sephiroth exchanged worried looks. It wasn't like Jynx to miss food.  
_

_"Seems we owe her a lot," Sephiroth murmured, resting his head on Xemnas' shoulder. Xemnas kissed his forehead and nodded.  
_

_"Indeed."_

**Alderyn threw an 'Aw-So-Cute' look at the two. She led them through the halls towards the very loud kitchen. She opened the door to reveal a very messy very hectic scene.**

_Xemnas and Sephiroth shook their heads, ducking as a pancake sailed through the air to collide with the wall. It stuck there, getting a blueberry stain on the wall.  
_

_"Why are they always fighting?" Xemnas said to himself.  
_

_Meanwhile, in Sidewalk's End, Jynx was alive, awake, and, for once in her life, not hungry. She was sitting up in bed, staring out the window, Jiin standing nearby.  
_

_"Jynx?" Jiin asked cautiously. Jynx's mental stability wasn't really trustworthy after taking an infection from someone. "Are you okay?"  
_

_"Relatively," came the reply. Jiin allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Jynx always replied that way. She walked over and sat down next to her on the bed.  
_

_"Just the usual, huh?" she asked, putting her arms around Jynx. Jynx leaned against her, eye half closed. "It'll pass. It always does." Jynx didn't reply._

-End this bit

Jynx: Why do we always get stuck on endings like this?

Alderyn: Probably cos I get stuck and then you say, "Well, let's just kill it here."

Jynx: Ah.


	25. Chapter 19

_"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"_

_"Fenrir, watch it! I'm already catlike enough as it is!"  
_

_"Sorry!!"  
_

_Jynx and Fenrir raced through the halls of the castle in Sidewalk's End, Fenrir precariously holding some sort of transformation spell in her hands. Jynx was trying to make sure it wouldn't fall. She didn't want it to land on her, however, so she wasn't exactly attending to the task at hand, which was watching the hall ahead. So they didn't see Sephiroth turning the corner unexpectedly. They ran slap bang into him and the three fell.  
_

_As if in slow motion, Jynx saw the spell arc gracefully through the air, come to earth leaving a glowing comet's trail... And land right on Sephiroth's head.  
_

_"Merde," she said, a look of doom crossing her face._

_Jynx bit her lower lip, watching in horror as Sephiroth promptly passed out.  
_

_"What the...?" Fenrir began.  
_

_"We put that element in there, remember?" Jynx half moaned. "To make the transformation easier on the victim." Fenrir groaned.  
_

_"Xemnas is gonna kill us." Jynx nodded and looked to Sephiroth again. The bishounen was undergoing a visually minor transformation, mostly his ears shifting to the top of his head and turning furry, looking much like Jynx's, only silver. To Fenrir's embarrassment, he also ended up with a tail, a long, silver, fluffy one, resembling a Persian's tail. However, Jynx and Fenrir knew that the worst had yet to come._

_Fenrir reflexively recoiled as Sephiroth slowly woke and sat up. Jynx, far more observant than a one-eyed demon had any right to be, noted his pupils had retracted to slits. Rubbing his head slightly, Sephiroth stared at them.  
_

_"What's up? Why are you staring at me?" he asked. Or rather, THOUGHT he asked. Fenrir stared at him quizzically.  
_

_"What'd he say, Jynx?" she asked. Sephiroth frowned. Hadn't they understood him?  
_

_"He's asking why we're staring at him," Jynx translated. Being a cat demon, she naturally understood him. Sephiroth cocked his head.  
_

_"I just said that," he replied. Jynx and Fenrir exchanged looks. Jynx conjured a mirror of ice and held it before him. Upon seeing the cat ears poking out of his hair and the tail waving behind him, Sephiroth let loose a yowl that put cats singing on fences to shame._

_Highly distressed, to say the least, Sephiroth grabbed Jynx's shoulders.  
_

_"Don't let Xemnas see me like this!" he meowed pitifully.  
_

_"Whoa, take it easy, mon ami!" Jynx said, startled. "Don't worry, he won't know a thing."  
_

_"About what?"  
_

_Jynx and Fenrir yelped, hastily teleporting in front of Sephiroth. "Keep your head down, Seph!" Jynx meowed. Xemnas stared at her.  
_

_"Why are you meowing? And what's wrong with Sephiroth?" he asked. Jynx and Fenrir stammered nervously, so much so that Xemnas, immediately suspicious, shoved them aside. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.  
_

_His alarmed. "WHAT THE FUCK?" echoed all the way through to Urquhart, startling... well, just about everyone._

**Doors banged open as a pajama-clad Alderyn rushed into the room a plushy poised as a weapon. **

"What happened now?" She asked sleepily and then her bleary eyes widened. In front of her was a rather fluffy eared and adorable bishie. That was all that registered in her sleepy mind. "SO CUTE!!!!" She screamed and glomped the bishie.

_Sephiroth yowled loudly, attempting to dodge Alderyn. He hastily hid behind Xemnas, clinging to him and peering nervously at Alderyn. Xemnas, who'd recovered from the shock enough to realize his lover was in some minor trouble, quickly hugged him close, defending him from Alderyn._

**Alderyn stopped in front of them bringing the plushy to her chest. Her eyes watered. "But I wanna hug the cute kitty bishie." She whined.**

_Xemnas glared at her, gold eyes narrowed dangerously as Sephiroth buried his face in his lover's chest. "I think not," he growled, fingers idly brushing over one of Sephiroth's ears. His gaze snapped to Fenrir and Jynx. "I think he's been traumatized enough this morning." The other two laughed sheepishly.  
_

_"Y... yeah... about that..." Jynx began. "That's just a spell... it'll wear off soon, we think..."  
_

_"You think?" Xemnas growled, though slightly halfheartedly. Sephiroth as a cat really was quite adorable, and damn near irresistible. Xemnas would have been quite content to keep him this close all day. Especially if Sephiroth kept meowing softly as he was now. Jynx and Fenrir heard him, but only Jynx understood him. Fenrir looked at her questioningly. She smiled and shook her head._

_Suddenly a little lightbulb flicked on in her head. She went over to Xemnas.  
_

_"Hey, Xem, wanna get a neat little spell?" she asked. He gave her a look.  
_

_"What kind of a spell?" he asked cautiously. Jynx shrugged, fingers disappearing as she reached into a pocket dimension no one knew existed.  
_

_"Not so much a spell..." She pulled something out. "...As a fish." The thing in her hands was small, leech-like, and was bright yellow. "A Babelfish, to be precise. With it you can understand any form of language imaginable, including, but not limited to, French, German, Gaelic, and..." she gave a meaningful glance at Sephiroth. "...CAT."  
_

_Xemnas considered. Finally deciding the goods outweighed the bads, he nodded. Jynx held the Babelfish to his ear and released it. With the uncomfortable sensation of something squirming into his ear, Xemnas winced and rubbed his ear._

**Alderyn watched curiously and then she realized something. "Umm guys..." She started before looking around nervously. "Isn't Sei a dog demon..."**

_Jynx blinked. "Well... she gets along well enough with me..." she said slowly. A vaguely panicky look crept into Sephiroth's eyes, and he clung tighter to Xemnas.  
_

_"But you're a cat DEMON," he meowed. "Not a real cat!" Jynx raised her eyebrow.  
_

_"Well, technically, neither are you, mon ami," she said. "You're more like an anime cat-girl."  
_

_"Oh great."_

**"Well, I'd think she'd be a bit afraid of Jynx. But Sephy... as you said is like anime cat girl which is foofy. She wouldn't be afraid of foofy cat girlish Sephy." Alderyn stated.**

_Sephiroth's ears flattened against his head. "Gee thanks," he growled, forgetting Alderyn couldn't understand him.  
_

_Xemnas, meanwhile, was still trying to get used to the Babelfish moving through his ear.  
_

_"I think I would have preferred a spell," he grumbled, rubbing his ear again.  
_

_"You'll get used to it," Jynx said.  
_

_"So how long is he stuck like this, anyway?" Xemnas asked, absently petting Sephiroth. Jynx and Fenrir looked at each other nervously.  
_

_"Erm... we're not too sure. We think the spell will wear off on its own..." Fenrir said cautiously. Jynx suddenly frowned and disappeared through the floor.  
_

_She reappeared in her room, down in the castle's basement. She checked the spellbook. She nodded, making a mental list of every element they'd put into the spell. She looked at the element allowing it to wear off. An expression of horror stole across her face._

**Alderyn sweat dropped at Jynx's sudden departure. "Hmm, should we take that as a good sign or a bad one?" She asked the others with a nervous laugh.**

_Jynx bit her lower lip, wondering if she should tell the others. She shook her head, deciding against it. Of the many voices in her head, her conscience was never one of the louder ones. She shrugged and appeared in the midst of the others again, as she was wont to do.  
_

_"It's all good!" she said cheerfully. "Just checking something!" The others looked at her strangely. She shot Fenrir a pointed look that the others missed. Fenrir cocked her head slightly. 'Later,' Jynx mouthed. Fenrir nodded._

_-O-_

_Not too long after he'd been transformed, Xemnas and Sephiroth were watching "The Crow" and munching popcorn. Or, rather, Sephiroth was sitting next to Xemnas while the other fed him popcorn._ _For the first time that day, Sephiroth was considering enjoying being a cat if it meant he'd get this sort of treatment.  
_

_"This stuff is better than the stuff Fenrir conjures," Sephiroth meowed. Xemnas nodded.  
_

_"I don't know why, but her stuff doesn't taste quite as good," he replied, licking a drop of butter from his finger. Sephiroth's ears suddenly twitched and he looked around, on edge. His tail lashed agitatedly.  
_

_"Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?" he said miserably._

**A light fell across a desk in a dark room. At the desk a hunched figure furiously scribbled out her devious plans. Her wings rustled in anticipation for what would come after her plans were complete.  
**

**-**

**"Alderyn, No Da?" Chichiri walked through the castle his monk's staff tapping a little irritatedly against the stones. He had been searching for the bird demon for the majority of an hour and had yet to find her. The monk had checked all her usual haunts to no avail. He called her name louder this time hoping that wherever she was she'd hear him.**

_Meanwhile, Jiin was wandering the halls, wishing to find Jynx and discuss something with her. She bit her lip, wondering how the unpredictable (and unstable) cat demon would take it.  
_

_However, the eccentric girl was nowhere to be found. She wasn't poking around in some of the other rooms, she wasn't looking for goblins in the oubliette, and she wasn't in Sidewalk's End. So where the hell was she? In her searching, she encountered Chichiri and decided to ask him.  
_

_"Naa, Chichiri. Have you seen Jynx?" she asked, approaching the monk._

**Alderyn eyes gleamed as she flapped her wings silently outside the bishies' window. Her first plan was about to be put into action. A loud crash echoed from outside the couple's door and a snickering alien gibberish filled the air. Alderyn smirked. Stitch was easy to bribe.**

**Chichiri shook his head.  
**

**"No, No Da. Have you seen Ali-chan? She seems to have disappeared." He told her. He had a bad feeling. The monk shook his head in worry, his blue gravity defying bangs swinging back and forth. "Daaa, if both are missing that doesn't bode well for us…."**

_Xemnas jumped as a loud crash echoed from what was formerly Fenrir's room._

_"Shit," he growled. "You may prove right, love." He rose to go investigate, pausing the movie and leaving Sephiroth alone._

_"Fine place to stop," Sephiroth growled. "Tin-Tin doesn't exactly have the prettiest mug in the world."_

_-_

_"Shimata..." Jiin muttered. "You're right, that's not good at all. Better find them ASAP." She would've said more, if a loud cry didn't cut her off._

**The power to the room cut off abruptly and the windows blew open. With a small triumphant cry Alderyn launched herself at the adorable little kitty Sephie.**

_Sephiroth panicked and hissed at her, yowling louder than Burger the cat. He lashed out, intending to scratch her, and jumped over the back of couch. He landed nimbly and raced towards his and Xemnas' room._

**Alderyn got a face full of carpet and a bloody scratch for her efforts. She let herself stay there a moment and leak a few tears. Her plan had failed. She had liked this plan too. Oh well, she had others. The thought came to her and she smirked. She had plenty other plans.**

_"What the hell was that?" Jiin groaned. She sped off in the direction of the living room.  
_

_Xemnas was planting a kick on Stitch's blue rear when Sephiroth ran up and clung tightly to his waist.  
_

_"What happened?" Xemnas asked, hugging Sephiroth.  
_

_"Alderyn, that's what!" Sephiroth yowled pitifully. "She tried to ambush me again!"_

**Chichiri followed closely behind Jiin. He had no idea what happened but the sinking feeling in his stomach tol him that most likely it had to do with Alderyn. She had been a troublemaker lately, more than usual. That was never good.**

_Xemnas petted Sephiroth's hair comfortingly. "If she tries again, I'll beat her up," he said. "How's that?"  
_

_Sephiroth grinned and started purring._

_An incredibly loud cry, one that echoed through Urquhart and Sidewalk's End, interrupted everyone and directed their attention towards the castle grounds around Loch Ness.  
_

_"Hoh snap!! Jynx, what'd you do?!"  
_

_"Shut up, Fenny, it isn't my fault!"  
_

_An awful roar followed this, one that sounded like it didn't come from the throat of any normal being_.

**Alderyn had been in the process of setting up a rather flimsy looking complex trap of ropes and beams when her head snapped to the side at the sound coming from the lock. Her eyes narrowed. That did not sound good. She dropped the rope she was splicing and shot off towards the lock unsure of what she would find and somewhat afraid.**

_Jynx and Fenrir backed up against the wall, eyes wide and horrified as they stared at the thing they'd summoned.  
_

_"Hoh shit," Jynx groaned. "We're fucked."  
_

_Next to her, Fenrir nodded miserably. She was starting to regret letting Jynx talk her into summoning something from the copy of the Necronomicon, particularly Cthulhu. The horrible thing seemed quite pissed that it'd been summoned so far from its dead city under the waves. Fenrir hastily worked a teleportation spell and sent them into the castle.  
_

_"Holeh shits, we've summoned something nasty!!" the terrible two yelled as they bolted through the castle._

**Alderyn stared wide eyed at the two as they flew past her. With a glare she grabbed Fenrir's collar. "What the hell did you do?!" She yelled at the other demon. She shivered as she sensed the incredibly sinister aura emanating from outside.**

_"Uhm... eheh... we kinda... summonedCthulhuwiththeNecronomiconJynxfound," Fenrir said in a rush. Jynx skidded to a halt.  
_

_"Come on, Fenny!" she shouted. "We have to..." She trailed off as she saw Alderyn. "Oh shit."_

**Alderyn just stared wide eyd at the girl for a moment. Summoned...Cthulhu..."WHAT THE HELL! CTHULHU!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!" The girl screeeched and her glare was turned on Jynx as well. She dropped Fenrir and pointed a finger at Jynx. "You should have known better!"**

_Jynx conjured her beret and pulled it over her eyes, swearing and shouting in French.  
_

_"We didn't actually try to summon Cthulhu!" Fenrir wailed. "We meant to summon something minor, but we got the incantations messed up!" Another roar sounded from outside. "We don't know how to banish him! The most we can do is restrain him for a few days."  
_

_"What the hell's going on?" Xemnas asked as he and Sephiroth came running in, followed by Stitch. "Jynx, Fenrir, what'd you two do?"_

**Alderyn turned frightened eyes on Seph and Xenmas. "The two òinseach burraidh summoned Cthulhu and we are all officially fucked." Alderyn told them her voice as frantic as her thoughts.**

_Having read HP Lovecraft, Xemnas knew exactly what Alderyn was talking about._

_"Oh shit," he groaned. Sephiroth, however, never having read Lovecraft, was at something of a loss._

_"Cthulhu? What? What's going on?" he meowed frantically._

_"Something very old, very powerful, and very pissed," Jynx said miserably. Another roar seemed to prove her point. "We need to restrain him for the time being and get somewhere where we can find a mage to banish him." Jiin arrived just then._

_"What the hell's happening?" she asked. Everyone told her about Cthulhu, and she blanched. She threw an unexpectedly dirty look at Jynx, who, surprisingly, flinched and didn't meet her gaze, staring shamefacedly at the floor._

**Chichiri was close behind Jiin and was appalled at the 'mischief' that the castles inhabitants had gotten themselves into. He stepped forward. "Will sealing scrolls work on him?" He asked.**

_"Maybe," Jynx answered miserably. No one seemed to notice that she kept looking at Jiin as if in search of support, though none was forthcoming. She sighed, ears drooping. "I don't really know."  
_

_Jiin resisted the urge to say anything.  
_

_"We should try anything we can," Xemnas said, thinking hard about Lovecraft's writings.  
_

_"I may know someone in Ireland who can help," Jynx said. "I don't know if he's still alive... but I'd heard he'd taken an apprentice, so..."_

**"Alera may have something to help. It would be a bit more technical than magical but anything to help right?" Alderyn piped up. She had moved closer to Chichiri and the monk had taken her hand for which she was grateful. "Chiri can transport me to Alera's and Jynx you go look into this man or apprentice or whatever."  
**

**"Fenrir and Jiin can hold off Cthulhu till we get back, No Da." Chichiri reasoned.**

_Jiin frowned unexpectedly. Jynx realized that Jiin was not going to do anything to help. Her ears drooped further.  
_

_"I'm fine with that," Jynx sighed. "But this guy won't talk to me unless I'm alone. Au revoir." With that she jumped from the window, opening her wings on the way down and flying towards Ireland.  
_

_Fenrir nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the spell on her body fell away.  
_

_"Somehow I think I'll need this," she said before winging towards Cthulhu. Jiin made as if to follow, but once she was sure the others wouldn't see her, she winged to the East, flying away from the castle for good. Jynx had gotten too annoying, and the former mercenary couldn't take it anymore. Cthulhu was the last straw._

**Alderyn and Chichiri disappeared through his hat with a quick wave to Seph and Xemnas.**

_Sephiroth and Xemnas looked at each other. They kissed quickly.  
_

_"Let's go help Fenrir and Jiin," Xemnas said. Sephiroth nodded. He may have been a cat-boy, but he was still the greatest swordsman ever.  
_

_Jynx, meanwhile, was winging miserably towards a small Irish village called Tulaigh Mhor (Tullymore), wondering what had happened to her and Jiin. It was like one minute they were so close, and the next Jiin was cold and aloof. She sighed. She knew she would likely never see the other cat demon again. But to the task at hand. She landed in front of a small thatch-roof cottage hidden in the hills beyond the village. She knocked on the door.  
_

_"Ned? You in there?" she called.  
_

_"Master Devine is dead." Jynx whipped around. Her eye widened._

_Behind Jynx stood a black-haired, green-eyed Irish girl, obviously a vampire to judge by her skin. She was impossibly tall and thin, seeming to have been made from the same mold as Jynx; she was the exact same height with not a millimeter of difference. She was quite lanky, just like Jynx. Her eyes, behind rectangular glasses, were deeper green and harder than emeralds, looking utterly cold. Jynx opened her mouth slightly, giving a small "Oh," of surprise. The girl had her nose in a book, not really looking where she was going. She finally looked up. Her eyes widened as well.  
_

_"He's been... uh... dead for a while..." she said, voice growing softer as she spoke. Her voice was deep too. "Um... I'm Kiernan O'Shea, no relation to Jackie in the village. Who're you?"  
_

_"Je m'appelle Jynx Heureux," Jynx answered breathlessly, completely forgetting the other likely didn't speak French. 'Oh shit. This is exactly what happened when I met Jiin. All my English went for a vacation.' "Bonjour, mademoiselle."  
_

_"Bonjour," Kiernan answered. "What do you want?" she asked in French, marveling at the cat demon.  
_

_"Uh... I... are you Ned's apprentice?" Jynx asked, finally remembering her English. Kiernan nodded. "I'm from Castle Urquhart and I needed his help with something, and was wondering if you..." Jynx trailed off. Kiernan nodded.  
_

_"I'll try!" she said excitedly. Then she realized something. "But I can't fly."  
_

_"I can carry you!" Jynx said. Then the two blushed._

**After dealing with a sleepdeprived pissed off Gargoyle and navigating their way through Alera's junk room they found the girl. She spent another few hours digging around with thier help trying to find the 'thingamabick' that would help them. Alderyn finally stubbed her toe on the damn thing and Chichiri whicked them away from the coffee hyped druid and back to the castle.**

_Sephiroth and Xemnas arrived outside, Sephiroth holding his katana and Xemnas holding the Kentuckian rifle. They were quite shocked to see Fenrir was fighting Cthulhu alone.  
_

_"Where's Jiin?" Xemnas asked. Fenrir flew over to them, trapping Cthulhu in a globe of darkness similar to those Drow conjured.  
_

_"I don't know. She never showed up," the jackal demon answered. Xemnas and Sephiroth shrugged, and the battle was joined._

**Alderyn set up the 'thingamabick' which happened to be a off kilter orangish box. She poked several areas of it trying to remember exactly what Alera's instructions were. After being zapped several times Alderyn was able to activate it. A pearly shield surrounded the battlefield. It would contain any magic or energy that flew at it and would keep Cthulhu within its perameters. Alderyn grabbed Chichiri and they flew towards the battle.**

_Jynx was winging back to Urquhart, clutching Kiernan around the waist and blushing furiously.  
_

_"So what did you want Master Devine's help with?" Kiernan, also blushing, asked.  
_

_"Um... a friend of mine and I... we kinda... summoned Cthulhu..." Jynx replied, embarrassment curling in the pit of her stomach. "We only meant to summon a shoggoth, but..."  
_

_Kiernan shook her head. She gasped; Urquhart was in view already. "How long were we flying?"  
_

_"Not long. I fly pretty fast."_

**Alderyn wiped a dribble of blood from her mouth and looked up. She waved at Jynx and whoever she was carrying before charging back into the battle. She had been thrown away and into a tree. Chichiri was off to the side a red aura emanating from his cross-legged figure. Alderyn's eyes widened as she saw Cthulhu turn his eye on the distracted monk. A tendril of blazing black energy shot towards him. She raced it and through herself in front of him her swords crossed as a shield. She was thrown back against a tree...again. At least I blocked that attack... She thought as she coughed up a little blood and got unsteadily to her feet. Chichiri refused to let his concentration be broken even when anger welled up inside him. He would not let this monster hurt Ali-chan again.**

_"Jynx!" Fenrir yelled as the cat demon landed, setting Kiernan down carefully. "Thank the... well, I'm feeling pretty against gods right now..." She dodged an attack from Cthulhu with a flap of her massive wings. Jynx and Kiernan ran to the battle, Jynx summoning the Frozen Flames and Kiernan adjusting her glasses.  
_

_"How's it been going?" Jynx asked, conjuring her frozen sword.  
_

_"Alderyn's getting pulverized, Chichiri's casting something, and the rest of us are exhausted," Xemnas panted, aiming the rifle. He fired, attracting Cthulhu's attention. Jynx turned to Kiernan.  
_

_"Can you help?" she asked.  
_

_"I can try..." the vampire replied doubtfully.  
_

_"Who's she?" Sephiroth meowed.  
_

_"Kiernan O'Shea," Jynx replied, knowing Kiernan wouldn't be able to understand him. "She's that guy's apprentice. Turns out he died some months ago."_

**Chichiri's lone eye flashed open and the ground cracked as the red aura expanded and shot towards Cthulhu. Suzaku's Seishi concentrated on dealing a blow to weaken the monster. He knew a lone seishi couldn't stop the god. He hoped by weakening the god would help the others would be able to take him down. The red power hit Cthulhu head on and the god screeched angrily.**

_Kiernan pushed her glasses up her nose. She took a steadying breath, closing her eyes. A steady stream of nonsense-sounding syllables flowed from her mouth. To Jynx and Fenrir, however, the words were far from nonsense. They'd used similar words to summon Cthulhu in the first place.  
_

_Upon hearing the words, Cthulhu screeched again, similar sounds echoing from his own mouth. Kiernan's chanting grew stronger, and Cthulhu fought wildly, trying his damnedest not to fall into the dimensional portal opening behind him. The portal widened, and its heavy pull dragged Cthulhu ever closer. Kiernan's chants crescendoed, and with one last scream Cthulhu was sucked into the portal and sent back to R'yleh._

**A sigh of relief escaped Alderyn as she hobbled over to Chichiri who was leaning against his staff in exhaustion. The two made their way to the others. "Well we've survived another almost certain disaster moment. Who wants to drown the adreniline crash with booze?" Alderyn asked as they came up level with the others**.

_"Teetotaler," Jynx said.  
_

_"Underage," Fenrir said.  
_

_"Vampire," Kiernan said.  
_

_"Xemnas is a weird-ass drunk," Sephiroth meowed. (Jynx translated.)  
_

_"So more booze for you," Jynx said with a shrug._

**"Damn, you all are no fun." Alderyn said with a shake of her head. She looked to Kiernan. "And you an Irish lass. You'd think Guinness would be appatizing to vampires. Ah well too bad." At the end of her sentence she launched herself at Seph with no warning and gave him a quick glomp before backing away and glomping everyone else even the newcomer who she knew nothing about. After this was done she hid behind Chichiri not knowing what the others would do.**

_No one seemed to notice the peculiar twitch Jynx gave when Kiernan was glomped.  
_

_"Well, I've never actually tried since I became a vampire..." Kiernan mused, reflecting idly that she wished it had been Jynx who'd glomped her. "Damn, that's four centuries without any Guinness."  
_

_Jynx narrowed her eye. So far as she knew, vampires couldn't ingest anything but blood. Of course, beer was a liquid, so maybe..._

**Seeing no one intended to kill her she came out from behind the blinking blue hair bishie and happily walked towards the castle. She dragged Chichiri with her. "Anyone who wants a guiness and a scone follow me." She called behind her.**

_"Scones!" Jynx cheered happily. She eagerly followed, bothering Alderyn to hurry up.  
_

_Xemnas and Sephiroth shook their heads, walking towards the castle hand-in-hand. Kiernan shook her head and followed with her hands in her pockets. Fenrir recast the spell on herself and paused on the way in.  
_

_"Wonder where Sei and Ed were?" she mused aloud before heading in._

-End part thingy

Jynx: Well then… tell me, Fenny, how do we get stuck in these almost world-disaster situations?

Fenrir: Hell if I know.

Alderyn: You guys are idiots, that's how.

Jynx and Fenrir: You're mean!


End file.
